The Host
by xREILAx
Summary: One simple lie changes Hinata's life forever, when she meets Sasuke, a mysterious man working at a host club in Tokyo! But there's far more to him than meets the eye, as Hinata discovers in a whirlwind of events! Rated M for future lemons & language,themes etc
1. Chapter 1

Hello!  
This is the edited version of my story, The Host. Up to chapter 9 that is. :)  
I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Hinata looked up at the host club's neon sign. Pictures of the hosts were placed around the sign, one standing out to her more than the rest. Most of them were quite tanned, with dyed hair, but the one that stood out to her was pale with black hair, and had an allure all of his own. His expression was serious, unlike the others' playful ones. It was something in his eyes that drew her in, she could not describe it. She shook her head and looked back at the entrance. She still couldn't believe what she was about to do. She took a deep breath. God, how did she get herself in this mess again?

* * *

_2 hours earlier_

Hinata sat at a table with Naruto, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Shikamaru and Temari. They had gone out for a meal before Sakura's party later that evening, which she had promised to be the best party in the history of the planet. Hinata somehow knew that she meant there would be a lot of alcohol. There wasn't any particular reason for the party, but Sakura had wanted an excuse to plan one, so it was a 'pre-Christmas' party. She stared at her drink, the voices of the others somehow draining away as she watched the bubbles float to the surface before disappearing, like a never-ending cycle. It didn't make any sense to her. Christmas wasn't for another 21 days.

Suddenly she heard Naruto calling her name. She shook her head and blinked a few times, coming back in to the real world.

"Thought we'd lost you there for a minute, Hinata!" Naruto laughed. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied quietly, still in a sort of trance. She looked around the table at her friends, their voices fading away again as she became wrapped up in her own thoughts.

She could not help but feel like the odd one out. Everyone else was paired up in a relationship, but she was still alone. Usually it did not bother her, but today she was just not in the mood if they were going to start teasing her about it. She watched the bubbles again. This continued for another few minutes, until…

"Hinata? Hinata?" Sakura's voice pierced through Hinata's trance-like condition. She waved a hand in front of Hinata's face. "Are you bringing anyone to the party tonight?" Sakura grinned and winked suggestively.

"N-no, I don't think so," Hinata replied slowly, still bringing herself out of her semi-conscious state. Sakura let out an exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes.

"God, Hinata, when are you going to get yourself a boyfriend? It's about time you stop waiting for the perfect guy and just get yourself out there!" Her words hurt Hinata. What if she didn't want a boyfriend yet? All the men she met were either already involved with someone, gay or complete idiots! Sometimes even all three! She didn't think she had ever met anyone who she would even consider dating. Well, apart from Naruto, but that was so long ago it was almost embarrassing. She wished they would all just shut up!

"Actually I do have a boyfriend!" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She clasped her hands to her mouth, eyes wide. Sakura's mouth hung open, until Naruto reached over the table and snapped it shut for her.

"Hinata! That's so cool! Why didn't you tell us?" Ino exclaimed.

"I-I um…d-didn't wasn't to m-make a big thing out of it," Hinata stammered, still shocked at what she had just done. She cursed herself mentally. Every time she thought her stammering had gone, she got nervous and it happened again.

"A big deal? Hinata, this is huge! How long have you been dating?" Sakura nearly shouted, coming out of her frozen state.

"A couple of weeks?" Hinata squeaked. She looked down at the table, wishing she could just disappear.

"Well we have to meet him! You can bring him to the party tonight!" Sakura said animatedly. Hinata's head snapped up to look at her, eyes wide.

"No!" Hinata said, maybe a bit too hastily. "Um…I mean… he can't, he has to um…work," she added quickly.

"Come on, just for a little while?" Naruto did his little puppy-dog eyes. "I want to meet the guy who's good enough for my Hinata!"

"Yeah, you're not getting out of this one!" Sakura added.

Hinata sighed, defeated. What was she going to do now? She sighed again, cursing herself. Why couldn't she have just kept her mouth shut?

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

And that was how Hinata found herself outside the host club. She hadn't been able to think of any other solution. She could tell everyone that she had got into a huge argument and broken up with her 'boyfriend' when she saw them again. But then they would call her a liar, which she was, but not if she _did_ bring someone to the party. She took a deep breath and walked through the doors.

Hinata entered the host club to be greeted by a very smiley blonde woman.

"Good evening, miss, how may I help you?" she said brightly. "Do you have any of our hosts in mind to make your evening special?" She took a quick look around the club before speaking. Ok, it didn't look _too_ seedy or anything. Nice décor, and at least everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"I…um…do you allow hosts to um…go out places?" she stuttered. The woman smiled even wider.

"Oh, you mean a paid date! Yes we do, what day did you have in mind?"

"Err…t-tonight?" Hinata asked hopefully. The woman ran a finger down a page in a book at her side.

"I'm sorry, all our hosts are in the club or are already reserved for a paid date tonight," she said, the smile shrinking slightly. Oh God, what was she going to do now?

"Are you sure?" Hinata pleaded. "Please, it is very important." She hoped she did not desperate, but she doubted it.

"Hmmmm…well, one of our hosts may do it. It is his night off, but I can call him and see what I can do if you like?"

"Yes! That would be great!" Hinata said quickly. "I can pay whatever you need," she added, rummaging in her handbag for her purse.

"Ok, where is it you would be taking him?"

"Not too far from here, to Ginza," Hinata replied.

Hinata waited with baited breath as the woman dialled the number.

"Hello? Hi, I have a favour to ask you…I know it's your night off but would you do a paid date tonight?...I'll pay you a little extra…Come on, you should see the girl, she's so adorable!…It's in Ginza…yes….Ok, I'll see you soon, thankyou," she put the phone down. "He says he'll be here in twenty minutes," she said brightly to Hinata.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief while the blonde took her to a small waiting area and sat her down on a small but comfy sofa. After a few minutes when Hinata's heart had stopped hammering, she looked around the room. It had a beaded curtain rather than a door to keep it separate from the main area, allowing laughter and the clinking of glasses to seep through. The décor was mainly purple and black, with silver furnishings on everything. Hinata played with her fingers nervously, her mind drifting back the host currently on the way here. She wondered what he would look like…hopefully she would not look too out of place with him…

She was distracted suddenly out of her thoughts when she heard someone clearing their throat. Her head snapped up to look at the entrance to the room, standing at the same time.

The man standing there nailed her to the floor. Her heart skipped a beat.

He was tall, very tall, at least 6'2" she would say. His immaculate black suit fit perfectly around his muscular body, probably tailored to fit him and him alone, and it looked like it had cost him more than Hinata's monthly rent bill. The top two buttons of his midnight blue shirt were left open, showing the promise of a well defined chest, making Hinata blush. And as if that body wasn't enough, his facial features were devastating. Black hair that was in a messy style she couldn't even describe framed features so perfect he looked more like an ancient Greek statue come to life than a man. His chiselled features were actually quite feminine, but that brow, high cheek-bones and strong jaw line made it impossible to think of him as anything but a man. Sharp black brows arched over eyes that were obsidian in colour, and his lips were just made for kissing.

Hinata quietly released the breath she realised she had been holding. She tried to clear her mind and actually form words, trying to remember if she had ever met a man who had had this kind of effect on her. No, she would remember if she had.

The black eyed man looked down at her, his gaze intense locking with hers, making Hinata immediately avert her gaze to his shoes. Very shiny, very expensive looking shoes.

"Good evening."

Hinata slowly raised her head to look at him. His voice was as enticing as his appearance. Deep and smooth, like velvet across her skin. The man held out a hand and smiled. Hinata's breath caught in her throat as she put her hand into his.

"I'm Sasuke," he said before kissing her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. "I will be your host for tonight. What is your name?"

"H-Hinata," she stammered, her heart beating wildly in her chest as he smiled slightly. He was even more stunning when he smiled, if that was possible. But then there was something off about it, as the smile didn't reach his eyes, which were completely expressionless.

"I'll take it from here, Mari," Sasuke said to the blonde hostess behind him, never breaking eye contact with Hinata. When she had entered the room behind him had somehow escaped Hinata's attention, which actually scared her a little bit. She had _certainly_ never met anyone who had this kind of effect on her!

Sasuke took in the girl in front of him. Mari hadn't lied when she'd said she was cute. Her long black hair looked almost purple or blue, he couldn't quite decide, and framed her dainty features in an old-fashioned Hime-style cut. She was quite pretty, full, pink lips slightly parted, and a slight blush formed across her cheeks under the scrutiny of his gaze. Her eyes were unlike anything he had ever seen, so pale they were almost white, filled with innocence, and held a somewhat hypnotic quality. The blush that coloured her face at his gaze amused him slightly. Clearly she wasn't used to having so much attention. He wondered if she had been to any of the other host clubs in town but then thought it unlikely. She wouldn't be this nervous if she had.

Sasuke's eyes never left Hinata's.

"You had better watch out, miss, he can be quite the charmer when he wants to be," Mari said brightly as Sasuke took her hand and lead her outside. She wondered if it was his real name or the name he had chosen for working at the club.

Once they were outside the club, Sasuke stopped and turned Hinata to face him.

"So, where are we going tonight? Mari said it was in Ginza, so I'll have to be leaving by 9:30. I have a prior engagement."

Hinata was momentarily stunned by his bluntness, but at least he was telling her now. And she _had_ stolen his night off after all.

"A-a party," Hinata replied, again looking down at the floor instead of up at his face. Sasuke remained silent, obviously waiting for her to elaborate. Hinata was surprised by his general manner. Weren't men who worked in host clubs meant to be warm and charming? Sasuke on the other hand seemed distant and stand-offish.

His stance was confident, strong, his shoulders broad, clearly well-built. He turned slightly to look at her, and suddenly she was trapped in those ebony black eyes, unable to look away. There was hardly any emotion in his eyes, and if she had to put a name to what _was_ there…well, it was cold, uncaring…almost frightening. How the hell had he managed to get a job in a host club? God, maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. She remained trapped in his gaze, his cold black eyes keeping her captive. She took a deep breath. It was probably better to tell him the truth rather than lie. She had always been terrible at lying and this was already complicated enough.

"I told my friends that I had a boyfriend when I actually don't but they said I had to bring him to Sakura's birthday party so I thought if I go to a host club I could have a boyfriend for the night and then I'd just tell them I broke up with him or something I don't really know why I thought this could ever work I just...I don't know," she squeaked at the end.

It Sasuke a moment to process what she had just said.

"So you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?" he asked, just to clarify.

"Yes," Hinata squeaked, her cheeks flushed a violent red. Hinata waited for him to say something, anything. He probably thought she was insane, asking him to be her boyfriend for an evening. But then wasn't that was practically what he was paid to do? She had to admit, she wasn't entirely sure what was involved in being a host.

Sasuke made an 'Hn' sound. So at least he could drop the host act for a while, until they got to this party. He didn't have to be doing this anyway, why bother staying in character somewhere he didn't need to?

Hinata looked up at him questioningly. What the hell did "hn" mean?

"You planning on getting changed before this party?" He said, giving her the elevator eyes. Hinata looked down at herself. She was wearing a simple purple knee length dress, red ballet pumps and a woollen black coat.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Your boyfriend wouldn't let someone as pretty as you wear that to a party," he said simply. Hinata stared at him. He was so rude! But, he _had_ called her pretty. Did that balance it out?

"Well it's not a formal party or anything…" she replied, trying to defend herself.

"Well if you want people to believe you're dating someone like me you're going to have to make an effort."

Great! Rude _and_ vain! She frowned at him. Where was the charming man from inside the club? _"He can be quite the charmer when he _wants_ to be..."_ Great, so he was only charming when he was in the mood for it.

A what if she didn't want to make an effort? She was comfortable in the clothes she was in. She folded her arms and looked at the floor, scowling.

Sasuke almost smiled slightly at her expression. But he did not smile often unless it was to charm a woman into his bed. She looked like a child who wanted ice cream, arms crossed over her chest and pouting. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to a clothes shop that was a few doors down from the club.

Hinata did not like where this was going. The shop was full of lace and floral prints, low cuts tops and short skirts. She nearly died when Sasuke spoke again. He grabbed a passing shop assistant by the arm. What the hell was a clothes shop doing open at this time anyway? Hinata glanced at her watch. Well, it was only just past five, so the shop was probably open for at least another hour anyway.

"Could you make this woman look like she's actually going to a party and not the library?" he asked calmly. Hinata flushed bright red. The shop assistant smiled dazzlingly at him, not even looking at Hinata.

"Of course I can, sir, it would be my pleasure," she said, taking Hinata's arm and leading her away.

"B-but I don't have the money to pay for this!" Hinata objected, but Sasuke waved his hand at her in a dismissive manner as the shop assistant lead her away.

"Consider it a gift," he replied casually, walking away to stand near the till. Hinata was distracted from him as the assistant started talking again.

"Don't worry, honey, we'll have you looking fabulous in no time at all!"

* * *

About ten minutes later, Sasuke arched a brow at Hinata as she was gently pushed in front of him by the shop assistant, who was presumably waiting for his approval. Who knew that under that thick woollen coat there was actually a figure? He let out a long, appreciative breath. The simple black court shoes she was wearing made her a good 4 inches taller, and even though Sasuke doubted she had worn heels before, she was adapting quickly. And, they make her bare legs look incredibly good. Larger than average breasts were squeezed into a simple, tight midnight blue dress (which matched his shirt perfectly) that showed her tiny waist and womanly hips. It finished mid-thigh, but she was still pulling the hem of it down in an attempt to make it longer.

"It's too short," she said, a blush colouring her cheeks brightly. Hinata looked at his shoes, which was apparently becoming a habit. Christ, if they didn't have somewhere to be, he'd already be taking her back to his place and be getting ready to peel that dress off her.

"I've seen shorter," Sasuke replied stoically. Hinata's heart started to beat faster as Sasuke's eyes travelled over her body. She stood up straighter, it was impossible to slouch in these shoes. She noticed he was wearing an expensive looking black woollen overcoat she hadn't noticed him carrying before. Strange, she was usually quite observant. She looked around for a men's section he could have bought it from but didn't see one. Before she could question him, the shop assistant handed her a black short fur coat and scarf while Sasuke paid for the items. He handed her a bag which contained her old clothes. Hinata stopped as they exited the shop, and what he had just done sank in. Okay, so maybe he was a bit vain and could be rude, but a complete jerk wouldn't have just bought her a whole new outfit right? Perhaps there was more to him than there first appeared. The thought made her curious about him, made her wonder what he was like when a person actually got to know him.

"Thank you," Hinata said quietly. She felt awkward about accepting his 'gift', but she had learned in the shop that he was very stubborn. She just hoped it hadn't been expensive, she hadn't had a chance to look at any of the prices on the clothes and had never heard of the shop before. Maybe she would have time to run back to her apartment and get some cash to repay him.

"Hm?" Sasuke said, pausing and turning around to face her upon realising she wasn't walking by his side. Hinata ran a couple of steps to catch up with him.

"I said thank you," she repeated. "For the clothes." He froze for a second, then blinked couple of times.

"You're...um, welcome," he replied. Strange, he kind of sounded like he wasn't used to others expressing gratitude, like he didn't know how to react.

Sasuke felt a strange sensation in his chest as she smiled at him. No one had ever smiled at him like that since he was a child. With no ulterior motives or agendas. A true smile.

His chest tight, they walked to that train station in silence. Strange how something as simple as a smile could affect him so. He looked over at her as they waited for the train that would take them to Ginza. She really was beautiful, he decided. And those lips... He was distracted from that particular train of thought as the actual train stopped in front of them. Stepping on, he sat down next to her.

"So, give me some facts about yourself," he said, deciding that if he was going to be her boyfriend, he should at least know some basic details about her.

During the short journey, he learned that she lived by herself in Ginza, in a small apartment. She worked in a restaurant, which she didn't really enjoy but it payed the bills. She lived there because she had gone through a tough time with her family that she didn't want to go into, which was fine by him. God knows he knew about pasts that did not need revisiting. She liked to cook in her spare time and she also enjoyed making artwork and going to the cinema. He liked the sound of her voice. It was melodic. At the same time, it sounded familiar, like a long-forgotten memory.

Hinata stood up as they neared the stop they needed. Sasuke followed her to the door and out of the station. He hadn't really bothered to tell her anything about himself as he knew there wouldn't be any need. When meeting someone new, one wouldn't bother with speaking to the person they know to find something out about the new person in the scenario. And it wasn't like he would see her again after this.

Hinata wrapped the coat around herself in an effort to stay warm. She shivered and hunched her shoulders up so that part of the scarf would cover some of her face. Sasuke on the other hand seemed unaffected by the cold wind, his overcoat hanging open and billowing around him, making him an even more striking and commanding silhouette. She stumbled in her high-heeled shoes and in a second Sasuke's arm was around her, making sure she remained upright.

"Still getting used to them, huh?" he said, keeping his arm around her shoulder. She blushed at the contact and laughed nervously.

"Yes, they're quite different, but I think I've done quite well to get this far without stumbling before," she joked. He squeezed her shoulder in response. They made it to Sakura and Naruto's building and waited to be buzzed in. He followed her to the elevator once they were inside. In the small space of it Hinata was suddenly very aware of Sasuke. His imposing presence seemed to fill up the entire space, and her heart beat wildly. She blushed as she looked across and saw him watching her out of the corner of his eye. He held his hand out to her. She looked up at him, confused.

"If you want them to think we're going out, you could at least hold my hand," he stated. She nodded and blushed even harder. She nearly gasped as his much larger hand enveloped hers. His hand was so warm! It made her wonder how warm the rest of him was...she shook her head to dispel that uncharacteristic thought. She had never held hands with someone...the contact made her feel happy, warm, though she wasn't sure why.

They stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway to the apartment. Sasuke watched as Hinata knocked on the doorway and waited for the door to open. He could hear talking and laughter from the side. Hinata smiled as an attractive woman dressed to the nines with pink hair opened the door to greet them.

"Hinata, come on in!" she exclaimed, putting her hand on Hinata's shoulder and pulling her into the apartment. "Take your coat off and give it to me, I'll put it away somewhere safe. Is it a new coat? I haven't seen it before…"

"And who is this?" a blonde man asked to Sasuke's left, cutting the pinkette off.

"Oh, hi, Naruto, this is Sasuke," Hinata said quickly. Sasuke took his hand from Hinata's and offered it to the blonde, who returned the handshake.

"So, what makes you good enough for my Hinata?" the blonde asked suspiciously.

"What are you, her father?" Sasuke retorted sarcastically. The blonde, Naruto, laughed.

"You know, I think I'm going to like you."

"Oh my God, Hinata, you look amazing!" Sasuke looked back at Hinata upon hearing the overly loud comment. She had taken the coat off and, sure enough, was blushing furiously. The pink-haired woman, two blondes, and a brunette were commenting on her dress.

"Where is it from?" the blonde asked excitedly.

"Um...I don't know, Sasuke got it for me," Hinata replied quietly, clearly uncomfortable at the attention she was getting. The three women immediately looked at Sasuke, who replied with a designer's name Hinata didn't recognize. The women gasped, the leggy blonde in particular swooning and making a fuss.

"Oh, Hinata, he's a keeper!" Sasuke took the opportunity to stride over to Hinata and put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The pinkette turned to face him.

"So, how did you two meet?" she asked him, smiling.

Sasuke smirked to himself. They had created a whole story for this on the train.

* * *

About an hour later, Sasuke felt like he had been through a dozen interrogations. Was that what it was like to be in a relationship? If it was, he definitely didn't want one. Now, however, he sat in a corner away from the main party, watching Hinata across the room. She was laughing with the leggy blonde, Ino, who was quite drunk by this point. Hinata really did look amazing in that dress. He checked his Rolex watch. 9:27p.m. How was it that time already? Standing, he shrugged on his suit jacket and overcoat.

Hinata gasped as she felt strong arms encircle her waist from behind her. She turned her head as Sasuke leaned down to plant a whisper of a kiss on her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered. God, his lips were so soft. Did everyone's lips feel like that or was it just his?

"I need to go now, I'll call you," he said, his voice loud and deep next to her ear. He looked up at Ino. "It was nice meeting you." He turned back to Hinata and whispered next to her ear so that only she could hear. His breath on her skin and the quiet rumble of his voice sent shivers down her spine.

"It was nice meeting you too, Hinata."

And suddenly he was gone. The door closed behind him, and she felt cold without his arms around her. She put a hand to her cheek where he had kissed her, her chest suddenly tight. Would she ever see him again?

* * *

Sasuke looked back at the building as he left. Hinata had smelt so inviting when he had been so close to her before he left. One corner of his mouth quirked up. What he wouldn't do to take her away from that party and start something much more pleasurable. He sighed. But not tonight. He had somewhere to be, and he couldn't be late like last week.

He stepped on a train back to central Tokyo and within 10 minutes was at his destination. He stepped inside the door and went down the flight of stairs that led to the main club, turning left at the bottom to go to the small dressing room. An overweight, balding man met him as he opened the door.

"Nice to see you're on time this week, pretty boy," he mocked.

"Fuck off Takahashi," Sasuke snarled back. "You know I only do this job because I enjoy it. I don't need the money, and you can't afford to lose me, so I can arrive whenever I want, got it?"

The man laughed and shook his head. "You know, one day, that mouth of yours is going to get you into a real awkward situation." He turned to walk away. "Just be out in ten minutes, ok?"

Sasuke didn't reply as he closed the door of the dressing room behind him. Hanging his overcoat on the back of the door, he stripped down to his underwear before putting on a pair of black jeans and heavy boots. Still shirtless, he left the room and headed back down the hallway to the main room. He could hear the crowd even before he opened the door. Taking a bottle of vodka from one of the men at the door, he knocked back a few gulps before pushing the door open.

Hands clapped on him the back and people cheered as he made his way to the centre of the room. He smiled to himself slightly as the familiar adrenaline rush coursed through his veins. He was pissed off at Takahashi and was looking forward to venting his anger.

Cracking his neck and loosening up his shoulders, he focused on the man in front of him. Someone closed the cage door behind him and a loud horn sounded. The man lunged at him but he sidestepped the blow with ease.

It was good to be back.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_I wonder what Sasuke's other job is?...;) And will they ever meet again?_

_See you next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata woke the next morning with a slight headache. Sakura had insisted that she have just one drink...but then 'one' had turned into four. Hinata wasn't know for being able to hold her drink. It wasn't that bad, she guessed, she had seen others with worse symptoms from 'the night before'. She smiled, remembering last night. At first she had felt bad about lying to her friends, but it was over now and none of them need ever find out. At least they would give her a rest about finding a boyfriend when she didn't want one now. And because Sasuke had left early, there had been less chance of anyone finding out that they weren't actually an item. Next time she saw any of them, she would tell them that she and Sasuke had broken up. She considered it quite the success.

Smiling, she rolled over and looked at the clock. 10:37? She gasped as the content feeling vanished. How had that happened? She was late for work! Cursing, she almost fell out of bed in her rush to get ready. In no less than 6 minutes she was locking her door and running down the stairs out of the building. She ran down the street and arrived at her workplace in around four minutes. She burst through the back door, into the kitchen, only to be greeted by her manager. She cringed.

"Your shift started at 10:30, Hinata," she snapped, tapping her foot angrily. "This is the third time this month."

"I know, I'm so sorry, it won't happen again," Hinata said quickly, trying to get her breath back.

"You're right. It won't. I do not tolerate lateness, Hinata, you know this." Hinata's eyes widened as she realised where this was going. "I'm sorry to do this, but go home, Hinata. Don't bother coming back."

Hinata could only stand there, motionless as her manager walked away. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the floor. She had just...lost her job? Why? Because she was fourteen minutes late? No, this couldn't be happening. She needed this job to pay for her rent! She would try and beg her manager to change her mind, but she knew it would be useless. As she turned to leave, the chef, Asagi, spoke to her.

"Hey, Hinata, I'm sorry." His face was sincere. "I hope you find another job quickly. I can put a good word in for you at some other restaurants if you want?"

"Thanks, Asagi," Hinata replied, but her voice sounded hollow, her mind on other things. She should have enough money to make this month's rent, but then what? It wasn't like she could move back home, her father had made it quite clear that he didn't want her there a year ago. The fact that he hadn't tried to contact her to find out if she was even alive spoke volumes about his feelings for her. Maybe she could stay with Naruto and Sakura...but she really didn't want to ask them for help or inconvenience them.

She stepped out onto the street again, fighting back tears. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Where would she find another job this close to Christmas? Even all the temporary positions would have been taken up weeks ago.

Before she knew it she was back at her small apartment, where she flopped down on the bed. What the hell was she going to do? Maybe she could look for a job in central Tokyo, she would probably stand a better chance there. She could have something to eat and then go there straight away, as now the shock of losing her job had sunk in, rational thought was coming back to her. She wouldn't get anywhere moping about feeling sorry for herself. The only way to solve this would be to get out there as soon as possible and get looking for a job.

Determined to get out and find another job, she made some breakfast and headed out into Ginza to look before trying Tokyo and other neighbouring districts.

* * *

Sasuke wandered down to the host club to start work. He found himself wondering vaguely if he had fooled Hinata's friends into thinking he was her boyfriend. Guess he'd never find out. He went through the back door and put his belongings in his locker, before hanging his coat up on a stand. Walking through to the main club, he made Mari jump by tapping her on the shoulder.

"Sasuke, I didn't hear you come in! You're with Miss Yukino tonight, she called a couple of weeks ago to reserve you. She'll be here at around eight."

Sasuke nodded, smiling inwardly. He liked Miss Yukino, or Kazumi as she liked him to call her. She had a nice ass. They had an 'arrangement'.

* * *

Hinata flopped down on her bed, her legs aching from doing so much walking. Deflated from an afternoon of rejection, she let out an exasperated sigh. Nowhere she had tried in Ginza had been looking for staff, and she had looked everywhere she could think of, so she had decided to give up and carry on tomorrow.

After lying down for a while, she got up to make something to eat. Once she had eaten, she lay back down, exhausted. Before she knew it she felt herself drifting off to sleep...

* * *

Sasuke lay on his back, black sheets covering his legs as his heart still pounded in his chest. Kazumi rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and draped an arm across his body. She sighed contentedly.

"That was incredible," she said dreamily. "But then you always are." She smiled and wriggled closer to him. He grimaced as she rubbed against a spot on his ribcage that was still sore from last night after he left Hinata.

Hinata.

He thought back to the pale-eyed beauty, even as he held a brown-eyed one in his arms. Wondering what she was doing right now, he gently pushed Kazumi off him and stood up to put some pants back on.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your husband?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather stay here with you," she replied playfully. Sasuke gave a short hollow laugh.

"Yeah, but I'm not the one who thinks you're on a night out with the girls," he replied, handing her the dress as he picked it up from the floor. She took it from him and put it on. Getting up off the bed to stand in front of him, she put a hand near the bruise on his ribs.

"How did this happen?" she asked, concerned.

"It's nothing."

She laughed. "Always so mysterious, Sasuke! But I like that," she giggled. He handed her the pair of high heels at the end of his bed. She sat back down to put them on.

"Will I see you again soon?" Kazumi asked him, standing and wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. He laughed shortly and picked her up, pressing her against the door, her legs around his hips. He really did love the feel of a woman in his arms. It made him feel alive. He nipped at her neck, making her sigh with pleasure.

"I'll talk to Mari, see if she can move around a couple of things," he said, kissing her lightly on the lips. She laughed as he set her down on the floor. Opening the door, they stepped outside to the living room and walked across to the elevator doors that led out of his penthouse apartment, Kazumi grabbing her coat and handbag as she passed them.

"I'll see you soon then," Kazumi said, kissing him one last time before the elevator doors closed, separating them. His slight smile vanished the moment the doors closed. He exhaled deeply and decided to get something to eat. On his way to the kitchen, he picked his mobile phone up off the floor, where it had landed as it fell out of his jacket pocket when it was discarded. There was a message from Takahashi.

_-Battle Royale in four weeks. You in?_

Sasuke smiled to himself as he typed a reply.

_-Wouldn't be a Battle Royale without me would it?_

* * *

Hinata sat at a small table in a cafe the next day. It was lunchtime, and busy office workers were milling around her, doing important things on their laptops and phones. A few school kids entered the shop, laughing loudly. Hinata stared at her hot chocolate. She had set off early this morning to Tokyo to look for jobs. It was already approaching one thirty and so far everywhere she had been had rejected her. She sighed. Maybe she could just give up and become a stripper, they could apparently make good money. She laughed weakly at the thought. Yeah right, she'd rather swim bleeding with a serious flesh wound in a tank full of hungry sharks than take her clothes off on stage.

She jumped as her phone started ringing. It was her landlord. How strange, usually she was the one to ring _him_ when something was wrong.

"Hello?" Hinata said, intrigued as to why he would be calling her.

"Hyuuga, there's a problem with your rent," he said, his voice harsh.

"W-what?" she replied, stunned. What did he mean?

"Your payment was supposed to come through this morning and it didn't. Any idea why?"

Hinata thought about it for a moment. There should be enough in the account she used for rent and bills to pay for this month; she hadn't bought anything out of the ordina...wait. Gasping, she suddenly realised why there wasn't enough money in that account. The account she used for food and any other things she may need had not had enough to pay for her date with Sasuke, so she had used her other account instead...

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I can get the money to you soon, it's just I lost my job yesterday and I could move some money around to pay you but I wouldn't have anything to buy food with so-"

"-I don't care about your job, Miss Hyuuga. You had a contract to uphold and you failed. I want you out of the apartment in two days." He hung up the phone.

Hinata didn't move for a full minute, the phone still held against her ear. She felt a tear run down her cheek and she wiped it away angrily. Refusing to cry in public, she tried to breathe normally. What the hell was she going to do now? Could this week get any worse?

She took a sip of her drink to try and appear normal but nearly spat it all out again when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked behind her to see the last person she expected to run into.

* * *

Sasuke looked around the shop while he waited for his coffee to be made. His eyes skimmed around the room, until they snapped back to someone at a table. He smirked. Even with her back to him, that black hair held an unforgettable hue. He paid for his coffee and squeezed his way through the crowd of people that had formed at the till, before tapping her on the shoulder. The confused and shocked expression on her face as she nearly choked on her drink and turned to look at him almost made him laugh.

"Sasuke?"

"Hey," he said, sitting down with her. He asked the question that had been burning at the back of his mind since yesterday. "So did I fool your friends the other night?"

"Oh...um...yeah, I think you did," she replied softly. He could probably leave now but for some reason he found himself still sitting next to her. She remained looking at her drink as she spoke, her brow furrowed. Was it just him or were her eyes exceptionally shiny, like she was about to cry? She bit her lip as it started to quiver. When she didn't speak for another couple of minutes, Sasuke decided it was best to leave her, as her mind was clearly on other things. He wasn't good with emotional outbursts. As he stood, she spoke again.

"Do you...um...know anywhere that is looking for staff?" His gaze narrowed on her.

"Why? Is something wrong with your job?" He sat back down as she nodded.

His heart clenched as a tear rolled down her cheek. The sensation was strange, and caught him off guard. It was like he didn't want to see her upset, which was strange, as usually seeing people upset didn't bother him.

"I lost my job yesterday and I've just been kicked out of my apartment," she whispered, so quietly he wasn't sure if he heard her correctly. "I don't know what to do."

Her head was down, her hair obscuring her face, but when her shoulders started shaking, he knew she was crying. Great. If there was one thing he hated more than angry women, it was crying women. But even so, he felt a strange ache in his chest at her misfortune. It wasn't fair for something like this to happen to someone who didn't deserve it. He put his arm around her shoulder even though he wasn't aware of his mind telling his body to do so.

Hinata froze as she felt his arm around her. She tried to stop crying, hating herself for looking so weak in front of him. Wiping her eyes, she looked up at him.

"Do you know anywhere cheap I can stay? I can't go back to my family..." She looked back down at the table. What he said next stunned her so much she could hardly move.

"Why don't you stay with me?" She remained silent for a few moments, just sitting there staring at him.

"W-what?" Did he really just say that?

"Stay with me. I'm never really at the place anyway, I'm not sure why I rent it out," he said, shrugging. How could he say something like that so nonchalantly? She didn't even know his second name! And to think she had thought him rude and self-centred when she met him. She was right, there was _much_ more to him than met the eye.

"Why?" she asked, still bewildered as to why he would offer such a thing.

"What kind of scum would I be if I let you become homeless?" There was a strange note in his voice that told her maybe he knew more about that situation than she could ever guess.

Hinata stared at him still stunned while what he was offering sunk in.

Sasuke regarded her as she thought about his proposal. He seemed to come to his senses in that second and wondered what the hell he had just done. What was so special about her? He shouldn't care about any of this. So why did he? Then before he knew what was happening she had flung her arms around his neck, pressing her body against him. His body instantly reacted to her soft curves, her delicate, feminine scent. Squeezing his eyes shut, he placed hand around her and tried not to imagine her naked in his arms.

"Thank you," Hinata whispered, her voice cracking.

She pulled away from him far too soon for his liking, and her scent clung to him. There weren't even words for how much he would have liked to take her back to his place, strip them both naked and do some unspeakable things to her.

"I haven't even paid you back for the clothes the other night," she said, rummaging in her purse. He let out a short laugh, her comment distracting him from his thoughts.

"Really, you shouldn't worry about that," he said, drinking some of his coffee. Hinata stared at him again. He wondered vaguely how she would react if he told her how much he had spent on the coat, shoes and dress. She'd probably have a heart attack. Forty seven thousand yen was a lot to spend on someone, and he somehow doubted she could pay him back when she couldn't even afford her rent. But then he never had to worry about money anyway.

"Go home and get your things together. Meet me back here in two hours."

He stood up and left. Hinata was still shell-shocked by what had just happened. After a couple of minutes, she stood up, more determined than ever. She would find a job no matter what, and once she had repayed Sasuke for letting her stay with him, she would find a place of her own again. She hated depending on anyone else, and wanted to stop being a burden to him as soon as possible.

Leaving the café, she headed back to her apartment to gather her things together.

* * *

Sasuke stood outside the café where he had met Hinata at twenty to four. He glanced around to look for her but didn't see her. Now he'd had time to think about it, it had been rather rash and impulsive of him to just offer her a place to live. The decision to live with someone usually took a lot of thought to reach a conclusion. And yet he had offered it to her in a second. He had thought it strange, but when he considered it further, it was really not that big a deal. He really was hardly ever at his apartment, and she would be out looking for a job and working most of the time. Having been homeless once, apparently he couldn't just sit by and watch as it happened to someone else, no matter how well he knew them. Maybe he still had a heart after all.

He felt a slight tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Hinata, her cheeks red from the cold. She smiled up at him, making his chest tight.

"Are you really sure about this? I still can't thank you enough, don't you worry, I can give you some money to cover my food for a week or so right away and you won't even know I'm there, I-"

"-Like I said, I'm hardly at the place anyway," he said, cutting her off before she could ramble anymore. He looked at what she was carrying. She had fit everything into one suitcase and an overnight bag? He raised a brow. She _definitely_ wasn't like the kind of women he was used to.

"Is that everything?" he asked, just to make sure she hadn't ordered a van to transport the rest of her things.

"Yes, is it ok?" she answered, a confused look crossing her face.

"Fine." He took the suitcase from her and started walking.

Hinata followed him in silence, focusing all her effort on staying level with him. How did he walk so fast? Well, he _was_ a lot taller than her…

Soon they reached a huge apartment building, right in the middle of the city. Sasuke entered the code on the door and held it open for her. She stepped inside, grateful they were out of the cold. Sasuke headed automatically for the elevator.

As soon as they were inside, he was painfully aware of her presence. He looked down at her. She really was beautiful. Thick, full lashes framed pale eyes perfectly, her skin fair with rosy cheeks. His gaze flickered to her slightly parted, full lips. He had to stop himself leaning down and finding out if they were as soft as they looked.

Several other people got into the elevator behind them, forcing Hinata right up to Sasuke so everyone could fit in. Normally this would be an elevator straight up to his apartment but one of the normal elevators was out of order so his building had opened up this on to the public, much to his annoyance.

Her heart hammered in her chest; he was so close that his masculine, alluring scent invaded her senses, making her dizzy. She looked away from his muscled chest before her eyes and up at his face. He was looking straight ahead of him, at the elevator doors. Was it just her or did his eyes seem to hold a red gleam in some lights?

Someone pushed Hinata, forcing her body right up against his. His hand automatically went to her waist to steady her, pressing her against him. She looked at his hand on her waist for a second before looking back at his face, her eyes wide with surprise. Sasuke's heart beat faster at the sensation of her soft curves under his fingers. His chest felt tight, and he realised he was holding his breath. He released her from his hold and glanced away from her, wanting to stop the feeling in his chest.

As the elevator went higher, the other people got out until just the two of them remained. The silence between them was deafening, but he couldn't think of anything to say as all his focus was on restraining himself from pushing her up against a wall and ravishing her mouth, among other things. The elevator seemed to take an eternity getting to his apartment, it was almost painful. Finally it reached the top floor, and he pulled a key from his coat pocket, the doors opening as he put it in a keyhole in the wall, and he stepped out immediately. He didn't even bother to show Hinata the apartment. He needed a shower. A very cold shower. _Yeah, maybe you should make it a hot shower and ask if Hinata wants to join you_ he thought. He scowled at his own thoughts. God, what was she doing to him?

"I'm going to take a shower," he said, disappearing into what Hinata assumed must be his room at the far right end of the apartment.

She looked around the apartment, gaping. Could it even be called an apartment? How could he afford a place like this? It was huge, with a large living area joining on to a kitchen and dining area to her left. Hell, she could even see a mini-bar in the kitchen. There were three doors, one leading to Sasuke's room on the right and the other two leading to the room he had pointed at and probably a bathroom, next to the kitchen. The walls were white, as was the carpet, which must have been difficult to keep clean. A large black sofa and chair were placed around a glass coffee table. There was a large television in the corner, also on a glass stand. The kitchen had white cupboards and walls, the work top a black marble and the sink silver. It was modern and there weren't many ornaments or decorations, making it feel very minimalist. No, not minimalist, just not very lived in, as if it were a catalogue showroom, not somewhere some lived.

The thing that impressed her most, however, was the wall in front of her. It wasn't a wall as such. The entire wall was made from glass, giving the most amazing view of the city. She could even see the ocean past the tall buildings. It was breathtaking.

She looked towards Sasuke's room as she heard the shower turn on. She decided to find her room. She opened one of the doors, to find a bathroom as she suspected. It was decorated with the same colours as the living room and kitchen, and was again, huge. She opened the other door.

The room was quite actually quite big, and was nicer than the other rooms in her opinion. The walls were white again, but the sofa was red, and she assumed it must turn in to a bed. The curtains were red too, and a wooden desk was against the opposite wall to the bed, with a computer on it. There was a small cabinet with drawers, also wooden. It felt cosier, more welcoming that the rest of the apartment. She put her bag on the sofa-bed before sitting down. She took a deep breath. So this was where she would be living from now on...

She still couldn't believe this was happening, moving in with someone like this, especially a man. But it wasn't like there was anything going on between them, so it would be like staying with a friend...

Opening the wardrobe she started to unpack some of her clothes. She pulled out her alarm clock and placed it on the bedside table next to a lamp and noticed it had somehow reached five thirty in the evening. Her stomach suddenly rumbling, she went out in to the living area. She stepped out to see Sasuke in the kitchen.

He had his back to her, and was in different coloured shirt. Was he always immaculately dressed? She guessed she would find out now that she would be living with him.

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" she asked, wanting an excuse to make some food. He glanced round at her before looking back at whatever he was doing.

"I'm going to work in a few minutes," he said simply.

Hinata blushed furiously as he turned around and saw his shirt was hanging open. He walked out of the kitchen towards his room, munching on a biscuit as if being semi-naked was normal in front of someone you had only just met. Hinata tried to ignore his muscled chest, the smooth, uninterrupted skin from his throat to his hips, but the way the shirt billowed open when he walked was making it very difficult.

"Oh...okay," she said, her voice faint.

Sasuke smirked to himself as he saw the embarrassed but intrigued look on Hinata's face. She clearly wasn't aware that she was staring. He purposefully opened the shirt more as he straightened it before starting to do his buttons just to see her reaction. Her eyes widened and she looked away, cheeks red. He smirked again. Now that he had had a shower and her scent didn't cling to him he could think straight. But he still thought that blush was quite cute. _I wonder how much darker I can make that blush _he thought. He shook his head, pushing that thought away.

Hinata quickly looked at the floor in front of her as Sasuke straightened his shirt. He was…well…he clearly looked after himself. Hinata stayed looking at the floor until he had disappeared to his room again. Hinata was in the kitchen when he reappeared, putting on a suit jacket in one fluid, practiced motion.

"Help yourself to food," he said, messing with his shirt cuffs. "I'll be back late, I'll probably have someone with me so if you're not already asleep could you just stay in the spare room?" Hinata was baffled by his question before she realised what he meant.

"Oh…of course," she replied.

"Bye," he said, closing the door as he left.

Hinata stood in the kitchen for a few minutes contemplating what to do next. He hadn't really told her where anything was, but she was suddenly very hungry so she decided to search the kitchen for something to eat.

She found some instant ramen in one cupboard, immediately making her think of Naruto. She smiled to herself and carried on looking. He only really seemed to have ready meals, and there weren't that many of them. He probably ate a lot when he was out, it was likely he could afford it, looking at his apartment. She eventually settled for some miso soup she found in the back of a cupboard.

* * *

She spent the evening watching television and looking out on to the night city, but for some reason whatever she did or watched, she couldn't get Sasuke out of her head. She picked up the single photo frame off the coffee table. It was really the only thing she had seen that said something about the individual that lived here. Other than that one photo the place looked like one of those showrooms in a magazine. But then he did say that he wasn't here a lot. And he might now have lived here that long. She looked back at the photo, in which there was a family scene. A proud looking man held a possessive hand on a seated woman, who held a baby in her arms while a small boy stood to her side. Was it Sasuke's family? She briefly wondered where they were as she put the photo back down. Looking at the clock, she sighed. It was only 9:46 p.m. Time seemed to be dragging quite a lot. She was bored on her own, and didn't know this part of the city that well so didn't want to go out. Was she actually missing him? She shook her head as if to banish the thought. She should probably go and figure that sofa-bed thing. She wasn't tired but at least it would preoccupy her mind. By 10 o' clock she was lying on the newly converted bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't think of anything else to do so she closed her eyes and hoped that she would drift off to sleep.

Hinata jolted awake at the sound of the elevator beeping as the doors opened. She looked at the clock on the table. 2 o' clock in the morning. Great. She was about to go and yell at him for waking her up but then she remembered what he had said earlier.

She heard laughter on the other side of the door. A woman's laugh. Even better. She jumped as she heard a heavy thud on the other side of her door, accompanied by the door slamming against its frame once. Oh God. If she was right, Sasuke had a woman pinned to the other side of her door. She let go of the handle sharply. The woman giggled again, before moaning slightly. Hinata stepped away from the door, a look of horror on her face. She heard Sasuke's door slam shut a few moments later. Cautiously, she opened her door. Sure enough, there was no sight of Sasuke and the woman, only a woman's dress, high heels and his black shirt strewn across the floor.

She gulped, the thought of what Sasuke must be doing invading her thoughts, making a blush colour her cheeks brightly. She retreated back to her room, hoping to go back to sleep.

* * *

About an hour later, Hinata was still not asleep. And she was very frustrated. What was he doing to that woman to make her moan this loud? Well, she knew what he was doing, she wasn't naive, but was he really that good? She bit her lip and blushed as she thought about him that way. There was something about him that told her that he probably was that good. Even his walk was sleek and seductive. She shook her head furiously, wanting to stop thinking of him like that. Scowling at the ceiling, she grabbed her pillow and buried her face in it, hands pressed to the side of her head.

She just hoped every night wasn't like this. She'd have to kill him if it was. Or at the very least cut a certain part of his anatomy off.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_What an execpted twist! At least I hope it was xD how will Sasuke and Hinata handle living together?_

_See you next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke woke to the sound of his alarm clock the next morning. Sighing, he reached over to turn it off and rubbed his eyes. After a few moments he threw back the covers before sitting up. The scent of perfume still clung to his sheets. He got up and pulled on some black jeans, not even bothering to fasten them properly before walking around his bed to open the door to the living room. Raking a hand through his hair, he headed for the kitchen. He paused as he saw Hinata there, reaching into a cupboard. He had forgotten she was staying with him. This was going to take some getting used to. The hem of her baggy jumper just lifted enough to show her feminine hips and unblemished skin. It felt strange to have a woman in his apartment and he couldn't touch her. To sleep with her now would make things...complicated. And he doubted she was the kind of girl to just jump in bed with anyone. She made a small noise of frustration as she had to go up onto her tip-toes to reach what she needed. He moved behind her and reached for the jar she was trying to get. She gasped in surprise as his fingers brushed hers. He set it down next to her before turning to look in a different cupboard for a glass.

Hinata blushed a violent red as she saw Sasuke. The muscles in his bare back were a symphony of movement as he reached for a glass in a cupboard and filled it with water from the tap over the sink. He turned to face her and she practically had to stop herself salivating at the sight. The sunlight from the window hit his skin and highlighted his muscles in a way that was just mouth watering, and the button of the jeans on his lean hips wasn't fastened, showing a glimpse of dark hair running up towards his navel. She blushed even more and hastily turned away, suddenly finding it rather difficult to breathe normally. What the hell was he doing to her? It should really be illegal for a man to look as he did. She had never felt this kind of attraction to anyone, and yet she couldn't deny what she felt... But still, she knew nothing would ever happen between them. Men like him just didn't date women like her. She wasn't even sure he dated _anyone_. And she hadn't waited so long for the right guy to just throw everything away on some one night stand, no matter how attractive the man was.

"W-would you like some breakfast?" she asked, trying to appear normal. "I'm making some anyway so..."

"I don't need a mother," he snapped.

Hinata stared at him, shocked. She hadn't expected that kind of response. The bitterness in his voice actually scared her a bit. Okay_, note to self_, she thought. _Don't question his independence._ She quickly turned and tried to concentrate on making her own breakfast, not wanting to rub him up the wrong way when she had only known him for such a short time. Who knew what he was capable of? She paused at the thought. For all she knew, she could be living with a complete psycho. It was then she realised she didn't really know anything about him. She was distracted from that thought when he spoke.

"Look...I didn't mean to snap. It's just I haven't had anyone do anything for me since..." He fell silent for a moment before continuing. "In a long time." She turned to look at him, but he was already on his way back to his bedroom. The note in his voice just then...it made her heart ache. What had happened to him? She watched as he shut his door behind him, making it quite clear he wasn't about to tell her. Looking at the clock, she decided it was more worthwhile to eat and then head out to look for a job rather than pursuing him about his history. Maybe she could talk to him later, when he was fully dressed.

* * *

Hinata left the apartment building about half an hour later, still thinking about Sasuke, who hadn't emerged from his room. Had he had a bad relationship with his mother? Had he run away from home? It would explain that rugged, tough demeanour he had about him. Maybe he had been through a rough divorce? Yes, he was young, probably around the same age as her, but these days, who knew?

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the pink haired woman who walked past her.

"Hey! Hinata!" She spun around as she heard her name to see Sakura standing in front of her. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the restaurant?" A worried expression crossed her face.

"Oh...I'm actually um... looking for a new job," Hinata replied. Sakura worked in a large office building here in Tokyo. "Do you know anywhere that's hiring?"

"Hmmm, I don't think so, I could ask at my office if you want?"

"Yes, that would be great," Hinata said, smiling. Another worried look showed on Sakura's face.

"Is everything ok, Hinata? I called by your apartment last night but the landlord said you didn't live there anymore. What happened?"

"I um... moved in with Sasuke yesterday," she explained, cringing, knowing Sakura's reaction would probably be loud. Sakura shrieked and hugged her. At least Sakura wouldn't have to know Hinata had been thrown out of her apartment.

"Ah! Hinata that's great! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, it was kind of sudden..."

"Oh, Hinata, that's so great, you see, all that waiting for the right guy has paid off!"

"Yeah..." So much for being able to tell Sakura that she and Sasuke had broken up.

"Listen, do you think he'd want to have Christmas dinner with us? If he doesn't already have plans that is." Hinata paused. That was yet another thing she didn't know about him.

"I'll ask him tonight," Hinata smiled.

"Great. Ok, well, call me, I have to run back to the office now, I'll see you soon!" She shouted the last part over her shoulder as she started to walk away. Hinata waved before turning and carrying on walking.

* * *

Sasuke stepped out of the elevator into his apartment, dropping his gym bag from his shoulder to the floor. He took his overcoat off and hung it on a coat stand in the corner. He took off his tie as he walked to his bedroom and started unbuttoning his shirt.

Closing the door, he discarded the rest of his clothes on to his bed before heading into the rather large en suite bathroom joined to his bed room. He stepped into the shower and turned it on. Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, he sighed as the hot water pelted down onto his back. After savouring the sensation for a few moments, he quickly washed himself and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it round his hips, using another one to rub through his hair to take the wetness out of it. He dressed again, opting for a dark blue suit and black shirt tonight. Opening his door, he found Hinata just stepping out of the elevator into the apartment.

"Oh, hi, Sasuke! Do you want some dinner, I was just about to make some for myself," she asked, holding up a shopping bag. She smiled at him, but there was a look in her eyes that told him she was wary of a repeat of this morning. He had just been about to go to a restaurant, but for some reason still felt bad about this morning and at least he wouldn't have to eat alone.

"Well, if you're making some anyway..." he said stoically. Hinata frowned. Okay, it was an improvement on this morning, but how had he still managed to still sound so defensive about it? Silence passed between them for a few minutes before she spoke, wanting to find out more about the mysterious man she lived with.

"So what did you do today? Was it a good day?" She looked round at him when he gave a short, hollow laugh. "What's so funny?" she asked, curious.

"You sound like my wife or something. 'So how was your day, honey?'" He said in a mocking tone. She tensed as he reminded her of one of her earlier theories about him, and at the same time slightly offended by his tone.

"You have a wife?"

"God, no," he snorted. "I don't think I'll ever trust someone that much." Hinata's heart clenched at his words. It made her even more determined to find out about him. What had happened to make him so cold and suspicious? She fell silent, unsure of what to say after that comment. She concentrated on chopping the vegetables in front of her. He was the first to speak again.

"Any luck with finding a job?" She made a frustrated sound.

"No." Hinata sighed and turned around to face him. Once again she was struck by his handsomeness. "I don't think anyone will ever hire me this close to Christmas."

"Why don't you wait until the New Year? Lots of places take on permanent staff then."

She looked up at his eyes, only to become trapped in that intense, black stare. His eyes held that glint of red again. She struggled to form her sentence.

"I-I...um...yes, t-that's a good idea." He broke eye contact to look to the food behind her on the worktop, allowing her to regain some of her thought processes. "Are you sure you don't mind me staying here that long?"

"That depends on how good your cooking is," he joked, inspecting the food she had made so far. She smiled. How could he be so bitter and defensive one moment then so charming and normal the next?

* * *

While Hinata was finishing the food, Sasuke flopped down on the sofa and turned on the television. He had taken his suit jacket off so it wouldn't get creased, and it rested over the back of the sofa. He flicked around the channels on the television, not really looking for anything in particular but rather just passing time, grateful for the background noise.

Hinata plonked a bowl down on the table in front of him. He had to admit, it smelt delicious, and almost...recognizable? She spoke and suddenly he was a child again, sitting at the table for dinner. His mother smiled down at him, speaking, but he couldn't hear the words. He blinked and Hinata stood there, back in his apartment. She sat down next to him. His heart in his throat, he picked up the bowl.

"Thanks."

That was why her voice had sounded so familiar the night they met. She sounded just like his mother. He had almost forgotten the sound until he had heard Hinata speaking. The thought jolted him. His family... How could the grief he felt be just as crippling as it was at the time of their deaths? Suddenly he had lost his appetite.

Hinata ate in silence, not feeling the need to speak. Her eyes drifted back to the single photo frame on the table. She picked it up, still curious about the scene it showed. Was Sasuke the baby or the small boy standing up?

"Is this your family?"

He tensed, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Yes."

"Do you speak to them a lot?"

"No."

"How come?" As soon as she asked the question she immediately regretted it. That was kind of personal for someone she barely knew. She wouldn't want to share her family history with him yet, so why should he? But then if he didn't get along with them why did he keep a picture of them?

Suddenly he stood up, putting his bowl down on the table and swiftly picking up his jacket. He shrugged it on to his broad shoulders before heading towards the elevator. She watched him, puzzled.

"The dead do not speak, Hinata." His voice cracked. The elevator doors closed.

* * *

Hinata spent the next few days trying to figure out Sasuke. Since she had learnt of his family's fate, he had acted like nothing had happened. He still didn't speak much, and carried himself in the usual way, strong and confident. How could he bear it? She wondered when it had happened, how it had happened, but she didn't know to bring up the subject again, and wasn't sure if she wanted to.

Her heart ached for him, at times he just seemed so _alone_. It made her even more determined to get him to have Christmas dinner with Naruto, Sakura and herself. Even though Christmas was really a commercial event for couples in Japan, as the main religions were Buddhism and Shinto, they always had a meal together to celebrate it. None of them had any family to speak of, as they were either dead, or in Hinata's case, estranged. Sasuke would fit right in. As far as she was aware, he had no one to spend the holiday with, and she wanted to show him that it was okay to trust _some_ people.

She took a deep breath and went to ask him.

* * *

Sasuke turned his head at the sound of Hinata's door opening. His chest felt tight as it always did around her now. She was the first person he had told about his family in years, and it made him wary of her treating him differently. She wasn't...much. The last few days she had appeared almost cautious of him, as if she didn't want to say or do the wrong thing and make him upset or angry. She still smiled at him and carried on doing all the things she had done before, but there was a sadness in her eyes whenever she looked at him. He hated feeling pitied.

"Sasuke, I was wondering...um," Hinata started, unsure of how to phrase it.

"Yes?"

"W-would you like to have Christmas dinner with me? And Naruto and Sakura? You don't have to it's just I would hate for you to be alone for Christmas..."

"I'm never alone at Christmas."

"What do you mean?"

"You'd be surprised how many lonely hearts Tokyo has." Hinata blushed slightly at his meaning.

"Oh um... I didn't mean anyone from the host club or anything... I mean, don't you have any friends to spend it with?"

"I don't need friends." She stepped closer to him and held one of his hands in both of hers. He had to admit he was a bit taken aback by the gesture.

"Please? For me?"

Sasuke honestly didn't know why that would make a difference but for some reason it did. She looked up at him with those pale, otherworldly eyes and it made his heart lodge itself in his throat. The word was out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Okay," he said faintly, nodding. She smiled up at him and it took his breath away. Her hands fell away from his far too soon for his liking.

"Oh, Sasuke, thank you, you won't regret this! It'll be the best Christmas you've ever had!" She skipped back into her bedroom, humming a one of those Western Christmas tunes.

Sasuke doubted it. He clutched his chest, trying to get rid of the strange sensation there. There was only one thing he wanted for Christmas and it was unlikely he would get her. What was happening to him?

* * *

The next couple of weeks passed in a blur. Christmas was always a busy time for Sasuke. When he wasn't at the host club, fighting in a match, or taking care of some other things he had to do, he was at home with Hinata, who was suddenly extremely happy. Although Christmas wasn't really a good time for single women in Japan, it didn't seem to bother her. She loved how happy the holiday made other people. Even though they didn't talk all the time, when they didn't it was a comfortable silence, neither one really feeling the need to talk.

Her presence calmed him somewhat, which he found odd but didn't question. But then there were times when instead of calming him he had to restrain himself from doing something they would both regret. Like the times she would bend over to pick something up... or those times when he could see down her top... even that one time when he had walked through the living room as she exited the bathroom with the smallest towel he had ever seen wrapped around her. He didn't even recall buying that towel. When he had questioned it and she had made sure she had hidden herself behind the door before she answered, saying that there were no others in the cupboard and that she should do a towel wash. He was quite sure that was the darkest he had seen her blush. Hell, even when he just glanced at her lips he wanted to do things he shouldn't. Okay, maybe she turned him on more than she calmed him. It was definitely practice in keeping his hands to himself and an education in not getting what he wanted.

For Hinata time passed quickly too. She still carried on looking for a job for a few days, before deciding it was futile to carry on this close to Christmas. Instead she spent her time making sure the apartment was clean or cooking, as she thought it was the least she could do to repay Sasuke for not demanding any money from her. Yet when he was at home, she somehow constantly found herself in awkward situations with him. He still walked around half naked a lot of the time, even though she had asked him to put on some clothes, worried he might catch a cold. It wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't look so incredible and she didn't blush so much. And that towel incident would stay in her memory forever. However eventually she grew accustomed to his ways, and she even slept through his um... 'nocturnal activities' now. She understood that it was his place, that he probably wasn't going to change just because she was staying there, and that it wasn't her place to ask him to do so anyway.

Before she knew it, it was Christmas Eve, and she realised she hadn't decorated the apartment for Christmas. Sakura and Naruto were coming over to Sasuke's this time, which he was apparently fine with. She picked up her coat in shrugged it on, grabbing her bag and heading to the elevator. Even though the shops would be open tomorrow, she decided to out now so that she could decorate on Christmas day. From what she could tell, Sasuke didn't really celebrate Christmas, but she at least wanted to put up a few things if they were going to have a meal on the day. She just hoped he would be okay with it.

* * *

Sasuke woke late the next morning. He groaned and rolled over. He blinked a few times as he saw Hinata standing in the doorway. What was she doing in his room? Even stranger was what she was wearing. The red silk of her night gown was tied loosely at her waist with a belt. He never would have thought she would own such an item. She slowly walked to the side of the bed.

"Hinata?" He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. His heart beat faster and his throat felt dry as she crawled over the bed to him and straddled his waist. He hissed in pleasure as her delicate hands glided over his bare chest. She leaned down and started to place kisses on his chest, working her way up to his neck and jaw. This _definitely_ wasn't the Hinata he was used to. Unable to stand the torture any longer, he pulled her up to taste her lips.

Sasuke couldn't breath as she kissed him. Her lips were so soft, her scent invading his senses. She pulled away to look down at him. By this point his hands were on her waist.

"It's Christmas, Sasuke. And I... wanted to give you a present," she said, her voice breathy and quiet. He bit his lip as she slowly untied the knot at her waist. The robe fell off her shoulders but she kept it in place at her chest. God, did she know how much torture this was? Just as it was about to fall from her body, Sasuke jolted awake in his bed.

He glanced around the room, finding it empty. It had been a dream? His heart was beating faster than it should, and a light sheen of sweat covered his brow. How did she manage to get him this worked up when he wasn't even conscious? He heard a knocking at his door. That must have been what woke him up.

"Sasuke, it's Christmas day, get up, I want to show you something!" Sasuke froze as she spoke words that were almost identical to the ones in his dream. He rolled out of bed and put on some jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt before heading out to see what Hinata wanted to show him. He just hoped it didn't involve a rather racy choice of nightwear.

* * *

Sasuke didn't move for a solid minute as he saw what Hinata wanted to show him. She had greeted him with a very cheery "Merry Christmas!" from the other side of the room but he hadn't answered yet because he was too taken aback by what he saw.

The apartment was decorated for Christmas. He _never_ decorated for Christmas. It was just another day to him. But what shocked him most was the fact that it didn't look that bad. A string of fairy lights hung over the window, and another mirrored it over the elevator. A medium sized Christmas tree was in the corner next to his room, decorated in a red and gold theme. She had put a red blanket over the white sofa, with the white cushions placed on top. It wasn't tacky, which was one thing he hated about Christmas, rather it made the place seem warmer, more welcoming. All that was missing was a roaring log fire.

"Do you like it?" Hinata asked, stepping closer to him, her voice fearful. He glanced toward her, but had to do a double take when he saw what she was wearing. A red v-neck sweater, and some rather tight jeans. Suddenly all he could think about was his dream. But shy Hinata would _never_ do something like that in real life.

"It's…different to how I usually decorate." He pushed the dream from his mind, which was more difficult than it should have been. Only then did he consider it strange for her to be wearing something so figure-hugging.

"How do you usually decorate?"

"I don't."

Hinata laughed. She had been so scared he wouldn't like it, it was quite a relief to hear that he did. Or he at least didn't hate it.

"So..." he said, walking towards her, looking her up and down. "You _do_ own clothes that fit you." Hinata blushed as he spoke, folding her arms around herself as he circled her.

"Well...I, um, got them today. I...wanted to look nice for a change," she said, not sure why she was explaining herself to him. He leaned down until their faces were level. She blushed at his sudden proximity, looking down at the floor under his close scrutiny.

"You're wearing more make-up than usual."

"Well...like I said...I wanted to make an effort," she whispered, unable to look him in the eyes. What was it about him that made her so nervous, made her heart beat faster?

Sasuke's gaze lingered on her lips. Were they as soft as they had been in his dream? Another second and he would have closed the short distance between them to find out. The intercom buzzed on the wall next to the elevator.

Sasuke straightened and Hinata relaxed as he put some distance between them. He walked over to the intercom.

"You look nice anyway. But that looks good too."

Hinata blushed furiously at his compliment, her heart flaring with emotion as she did so. "T-thank you," stammered. In the time she had known him, she had never heard him compliment anything or anyone. At times it seemed like he didn't like anything at all. She sensed that this was a rare occurrence for him, and she cherished it.

"Hinata, Sasuke, it's us, can you come and get us?" Hinata heard Sakura say through the box. Sasuke pressed a button and replied.

"I'll be down in a minute." Hinata turned to face him.

"I'll go," she said, smiling.

"Just one question..." he said.

"Yes?"

"We're still 'dating', right? Just to clarify."

"Oh, um... yes, if it's okay?" she answered, blushing slightly. She had almost forgotten that they were supposed to be a couple.

Sasuke nodded and headed into the kitchen while she left the apartment. He peered into the oven to see what was being cooked. As usual, it smelt delicious. He really was going to miss her cooking when she found a job and moved out. His heart clenched unexpectedly at the thought. The idea of her departure made him feel strange, hollow. Had she really made that much of an impact on his life without him realising? How? He wasn't at the apartment that much, and when he was, they didn't exactly talk all the time and she just pottered about mostly. And yet when he was there and she wasn't…he was...bored? Did he miss her? Before he could even begin to contemplate what that might mean, the elevator doors opened and Hinata, Sakura and Naruto entered the apartment, laughing together. Hinata clutched two presents in her arms, while Naruto strode toward him holding another.

"Hey, happy Christmas," he said, holding the present out to him. Sasuke took it from him, and for a moment he was actually speechless.

"Um...thanks," he replied, stunned. His gaze flickered to Hinata, who was taking Sakura's coat. He wondered if he should have bought presents for the three other people in the room, but before he could apologize, he heard Hinata speaking.

"Naruto, give me your coat too and then I can get your presents from Sasuke and I."

He immediately felt guilty for not asking about presents. But then it was something he hadn't had to think about such things in years. He would have to pay her back later.

Hinata put Naruto and Sakura's coat down on her bad and pulled their presents from her wardrobe. As she went back into the living room, she saw that Sakura and Naruto had sat down on the sofa, but what really caught her attention was Sasuke. He was looking at the present in his hands like it was some kind of alien object, turning it over and examining it, staring at the tag attached to it. She walked over to him.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" she asked quietly, frowning at his behaviour.

"Yeah, it's just... I haven't had a present in a long time." He stared at it for a few more seconds before shaking his head as if to clear it. Her heart ached for him. Did he really have no one in his life that cared enough to buy him a present every now and again? Sakura turned to say something from the sofa.

"Oh, and Hinata, you can open your Christmas present today but you have to wait to open your birthday present!" she laughed.

"It's your birthday? Why didn't you tell me?" Sasuke asked, his brow furrowed. He put his present on the table next to him.

"On the 27th. I, um... didn't think it was that important..." Hinata replied, slightly confused as to why it would matter to him. Suddenly, Sakura exclaimed something to Naruto.

"Oh, Naruto, look where they're standing!" Hinata stared at her, bewildered. What on earth was she talking about?

"Yeah, come on, Hinata, go for it!" Naruto cheered, Sakura grinning next to him.

Sasuke was confused as well, until he looked around. There was some mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. He smiled. Maybe now he could finally kiss her he could get whatever he thought he was feeling for her out of his system. He'd been longing to do it for weeks anyway.

Hinata was still puzzled by the whole situation. She turned to Sasuke, hoping he could provide and explanation. "What are they talking about?" She looked back at the grinning couple.

Naruto pointed up at the ceiling. She followed his finger up to the ceiling and blushed.

Mistletoe.

Oh crap. She had put it there for Naruto and Sakura really, she had never anticipated this would happen! Before she could protest, Sasuke hooked a finger under her chin, tilted her head up and leaned down to kiss her.

A jolt of electricity went through Hinata as his lips touched hers. She dropped the presents she was holding, only faintly hearing them land on the floor as he gathered her into his arms. Her heart beat faster at the feel of their bodies touching, his scent overpowering her and his lips making her dizzy. Who knew kissing could feel like this? Her hands clutched at his shirt as he pulled her even closer to him.

Sasuke growled at the taste of Hinata. She set his entire being on fire and he couldn't think past the feel of her in his arms. She moaned and he took the opportunity to taste her fully. His tongue slid against hers and it made him lightheaded. She tasted _so_ much better in reality than she had in his dream. He slipped a hand under her sweater to feel the skin of her hips as he turned and pushed her up against the wall that had been behind him so he could feel every curve against him. He moved to kiss her neck, and he could feel her accelerated pulse under his fingertips as he tilted her head back. He heard someone clear their throat.

"Hey, don't get too carried away, you've got all night to do that, when we're not here!" Naruto said jokingly. Sasuke pulled away to look at them. When he looked back at Hinata, her face was bright red, her hands over her mouth. He stepped away from her, immediately wishing his hands were back on her skin.

"Well if that happens every time they kiss no wonder we haven't seen them kiss before!" Sakura said to Naruto, whispering, but loudly so that Hinata and Sasuke could still hear her.

Hinata hurriedly picked up the presents of the floor and gave them to Sakura and Naruto. Her cheeks were still red.

"Why don't you wait at the table and I'll go and finish the meal?" Was it just him or did she sound a little breathless? She disappeared quickly into the kitchen. Sasuke was about to follow her when Naruto clapped an arm around his shoulders.

"You know, I sure am glad things are going well for you two," he said, smiling. They walked towards the table that was set up behind the sofa. Sakura spoke next.

"Yeah, we were beginning to think our Hinata would never find a boyfriend! I'm glad that she found someone like you first try, even if it has been a long time coming," she laughed. Sasuke had to smirk at that. If only she knew what kind of man he was.

It took a moment for her words to sink in. Shit, Hinata had told him she didn't have a boyfriend, not that she'd _never_ had one! That would mean that he had just been her first kiss. Cursing mentally, he excused himself from Naruto and Sakura and went into the kitchen, worried. Women could be a bit funny about first kisses. Wanted to save it for someone they thought they loved or something, he had never really understood. But for some reason, knowing he had taken Hinata's first kiss made him feel incredibly guilty. He put a hand on her shoulder. She tensed at his touch, making him withdraw his hand hastily.

"Look I'm sorry about that, if I had known it was your first kiss I never would have-"

"-It's fine, really," she said quickly, looking up at him and smiling slightly. Her eyes looked a bit too shiny and she sniffed a little. He narrowed his eyes at her, not believing her.

"You sure about that?"

"Had to happen sooner or later, didn't it?" she laughed. She looked back down at the food she was serving up. "It's okay, really."

"Well, if you're sure..." She nodded.

"Could you take a couple of these plates through please?" He obliged, his chest still filled with a guilt he couldn't explain or understand.

* * *

The meal passed slowly for Sasuke. The conversation flowed, he chipped in with a couple of words every now and then, but he still wasn't sure Hinata was okay, and it made him incredibly uneasy and restless. Why did he feel like this again? Hinata really shouldn't be affecting him like this. Sakura asked him how he could afford such a huge apartment. He made a joke about his drug dealing business going well and the prostitutes he had in the red light district making him quite a bit of money. Everyone laughed. The conversation went off on a tangent and he went back to feeling…indescribable.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't sleep. Naruto and Sakura had left hours ago, but Hinata had disappeared to her room shortly after, saying she was tired. He had sat and watched television for a while before going to bed too. He hadn't even bothered going out to find a girl to bring back to his bed to try and take his mind off Hinata. He let out an exasperated sigh.

His mind kept wandering back to Hinata's lips. He hadn't felt like that when he kissed a woman in... he couldn't even remember. He could still taste her, feel her skin on his lips. It was almost haunting. Instead of confirming that she meant nothing to him, the kiss had only increased his desire for her. He had tasted heaven and he wanted more.

Kissing her had been a mistake. A really, _really_ bad mistake.

* * *

Hinata lay awake on her bed, thinking. She wasn't really tired, but had wanted get away from Sasuke. What did she say to him now that he had kissed her? Yes, the fact than he had stolen her first kiss was slightly upsetting, but surprisingly that wasn't what troubled her.

She touched her lips lightly with her fingers. If she closed her eyes, she could almost still feel his lips on hers, smell his scent around her, his strong arms holding her. Did kissing feel like that with anyone or was it just him? A tiny voice in her head said it was the latter, while another screamed for her to wake up.

A kiss didn't mean anything these days. It sure as hell hadn't meant anything to him. It was practically his job to kiss women. Even so, her heart hammered in her chest as she thought of him. He was compelling and charming, when he wanted to be anyway. He had razor sharp sarcasm and wit, both qualities she loved in anyone. At the same time there was an air of sadness around him that she wanted to banish. His kiss had left her breathless and weak, and the mere thought of him made her smile.

If he could just learn to let her in, to trust her… she could easily see herself falling for…

Wait, what was she thinking? All she really knew about him was that he liked to have sex, had an obscene amount of money and his family were dead. And men like him just weren't interested in women like her. She wasn't even sure he had ever had a relationship that lasted longer than one night!

She knew she would just get hurt, but even so, her heart beat faster at the memory of his lips, the way he looked at her sometimes…

It just wasn't possible that she loved him. Right? She didn't know anything about him. And he most definitely did _not_ love her.

This was just some silly crush, a passing interest. She liked his companionship, nothing more. She needed it to be. She simply wouldn't allow herself to keep feeling like this.

It needed to stop before she did something she would regret. Or something _he_ would regret.

She would not let herself become one of his mistakes.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_A first kiss...with unexpected consequences...I wonder what they will do next?_

_See you next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

The week that followed Christmas went in a bit of a blur. Hinata wasn't really sure how to act around Sasuke after their kiss, but he was at the apartment less and less, as New Year was an extremely busy time for everyone, so she only really saw him for short times during the day as he was passing through anyway. It gave her a lot of time to think about things.

Although her kiss with Sasuke had been...interesting, and she did find him attractive, she wasn't sure she wanted any kind of relationship with him. He could be cold and distant, and she still didn't really know any more about him than she had known a couple of weeks ago. When they did speak it was nice enough, and she did want to know him better, but there was just something about him that told her he didn't want to know her. As far as she could tell there wasn't _anybody_ in his life he saw often, like a friend. He never brought anyone back to the apartment anymore, but then he did always seem to be rushing off somewhere or on his mobile phone. She just couldn't figure him out! But one thing she did know was that he wouldn't be interested in her. Not one bit.

* * *

Sasuke's strategy was simple. The less time he spent at the apartment, the less chance there was that something would happen between them. It wasn't like he didn't _want_ something to happen, but it just _couldn't_. She was affecting him entirely too much, and if he wasn't careful, he would end up ruining whatever friendship they shared. That's what they had, a friendship of sorts. She didn't argue with the choices he made, didn't pry into his private life, didn't annoy the _hell_ out of him… someone like that didn't just show up every day, so he didn't want to jeopardise losing her companionship. It was just…a physical ache he would have to learn to ignore.

* * *

Hinata was in the process of cleaning the apartment, trying to think of something other than what Sasuke would like best for dinner (most of the things seemed to revolve around Sasuke these days, she noted with unease) when she got a call on her mobile from Naruto.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyy, Hinata!" She laughed. As usual, he sounded extremely happy.

"Hi Naruto," she replied. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, are you and Sasuke doing anything at New Years? I know it's only two days away but I was just wondering."

"Um, no, I don't think so…" She would have to ask him, as she honestly didn't know if he had any plans.

"Great, well you're going to come out and party with me and Sakura!" She laughed again. For some reason, she knew Naruto would be grinning like a maniac on the other end of the phone line.

"Well, I'll just check with him and let you know, okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool, I'll talk to you later then, yeah?"

"Ok, see you later."

"Bye!" He hung up.

Hinata smiled. Well, even if Sasuke was busy, she could still go out and have something to look forward to.

* * *

Hinata's bed was covered with clothes. In the process of trying to decide what to wear to go out for New Year, she had emptied her wardrobe onto the bed. Why couldn't she just decide? She let out a frustrated sigh. Usually she had no problem getting dressed! Why was tonight different? _Because you want to look nice for Sasuke,_ a voice in her head taunted.

"No I don't!" she said aloud. Why should what Sasuke thought make a difference? She had already decided that nothing was going to happen between them!

Eventually, she decided to wear a simple black dress with thin shoulder straps. It finished just above her knee, and she put a silver necklace on in an attempt to accessorize. She wore the shoes Sasuke had bought her the night they had met. Although she wasn't the most fashion conscious person, she decided that she looked okay, she had definitely seen others looking a whole lot worse.

Smiling, she left her room, to find Sasuke doing his tie in the living room. As always, he was dressed immaculately in an expensive looking suit, which tonight was a shade of blue so dark it was almost black, with a crisp white shirt underneath.

"You ready?" She nodded and went to pick up her coat from the stand in the corner. They were meeting Naruto and Sakura at the club, so were setting off soon to get there in time. She smiled up at Sasuke as they entered the elevator to leave the building. He hadn't been doing anything tonight so she was only too pleased when he said he would go with her.

Sasuke glanced across at Hinata. She looked beautiful, as always. They walked in silence to the club, where Sakura and Naruto greeted them with an almost deafening, "Happy New Year!" Hinata laughed.

"It's not New Year yet!"

"Yeah, but we might end up celebrating out here, the queue is huge!" Naruto said unhappily.

"Yeah, but I know people," Sasuke smirked. He held his arm out to Hinata, who linked him and headed for the entrance, Naruto and Sakura following. The doorman let them through without hesitation.

"Gee, Hinata, Sasuke sure is useful, right?" he heard Sakura say. The corner of his mouth twitched up at her remark.

* * *

Hinata and Sakura were in the bathroom a couple of hours later, Hinata watching as Sakura re-applied her lipstick.

"So how are things with you and Sasuke?"

"Um…good I think," Hinata smiled.

"You know, Hinata, I have to admit I was quite worried about Sasuke at first. He has a wandering eye. But then he looks at you in a completely different way than to other girls I see him looking at," Sakura winked back.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, confused. He looked at her the same way he looked at anyone else…didn't he?

"What I mean, Hinata, is that I think you two could be together for a long time. The way he looks at you…it's like you can _see_ that he loves you in his eyes." She clasped her hands to her chest and sighed. "Oh it's so _romantic_! I'm so happy for you!" Hinata stared at her, shocked. Sasuke didn't love her…he didn't love anyone…at the very most he only _liked_ her…and as a friend, nothing more… Sakura grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the bathroom. "Come on, we'd best get back to the boys!"

They went back up the stairs and found Sasuke and Naruto easily enough, but all the while all Hinata could think about was what Sakura had said. There was no way Sasuke could love her, they hardly knew each other! She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her heart hammering in her chest. She saw him quickly avert his eyes from her. But that didn't mean he loved her right? It was absurd! He was only looking at her. Love was a very strong word. And Sakura did exaggerate everything. Maybe it was more of a…mild interest?

Oh God. She needed a drink. Or several.

* * *

Sasuke pushed the button for the elevator up to his apartment, Hinata clinging to his arm.

"Where are we going, Sasuke?"

"I told you, home," he said, sighing. Why did she have to get drunk? Oh yeah, it was Naruto's idea, he thought it was hilarious when she was drunk. Sasuke didn't. He stepped out of the elevator and into the apartment, Hinata trotting after him. He was going to kill Naruto the next time he saw him.

Sasuke pushed open to door to Hinata's room, only to see clothes strewn all over her bed, clearly from deciding what to wear earlier on. Rather than try and figure out where everything went and fail miserably, he decided it would just be better to put Hinata in his own bed for the night. He wasn't tired anyway, and if he did start to feel worn-out he could sleep on the sofa. He went back to the living room and closed the door behind him.

"Come on, Hinata, you're sleeping in my room tonight," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Your room? But you're a boy," she protested weakly, yawning.

"Jesus, you really are a lightweight aren't you? I'm sleeping somewhere else."

"Oh, okay," she said, standing up and walking past him into the room. Sasuke took her coat off her shoulders and laid it on the back of a chair. When he turned around again she had taken her shoes off and was in the process of unzipping her dress. He practically ran across the room to stop her.

"Whoa, Hinata, what are you doing? I'm a boy remember?" he said, zipping it back up. The last thing he needed was to see Hinata strip, because he honestly wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself doing something very dishonourable. He might be an asshole most of the time but he wasn't the type of guy to take advantage of her when she was clearly not in the right state of mind to do anything, let alone decide whether she wanted to sleep with him. "Why don't you just get in bed?" He lifted the sheets back.

"But I can't sleep in my dress!" she complained. She started to unzip it again. His heart hammering at the sight, Sasuke quickly turned on his heel and swiftly left the room. Heading into the kitchen, he poured a glass of water for Hinata. He waited a couple of minutes before returning, not only to get his breathing back to normal but to make sure Hinata had time to get under the sheets before he went back in.

To his relief, she was snuggled under the sheets, completely covered, only above her nose and up visible. She sat up as he approached, clutching the sheets to her chest. "Oh, hi, Sasuke, where have you been?" He put the glass of water into her hands.

"Drink this, you'll feel better." She obliged and he took the glass off her again, setting it down on the bedside table. Great, he couldn't see bra straps. She was naked under there. He was about to go and get her one of his shirts when she spoke.

"Do you miss them terribly, Sasuke? He wondered what the hell she was talking about until he saw her looking at the picture of his family he had moved into here the night she had first asked about them. It was on the table, next to the glass.

"I...really don't talk about it," he said, a lump forming in his throat. He stood to leave, but she caught his hand in hers. He looked back at her.

"How old were you?"

He sat back down, not really sure why he was still in the room. He paused before speaking. Should he really be telling her this? Why the hell not? The chances she would remember in the morning were extremely slim.

"Seven."

"How did it happen?"

"You don't want to know." His own stomach turned at the memory of it, his chest tight.

"What was it like?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"What?" he said, confused.

"To have a family that loved you...even for just a short while?"

He stared at her. Did she truly not know? Some families could be dysfunctional, hell, he should know. But had there really never been even one time when she had felt loved? He didn't know what was worse; to lose the ones you loved or to never even feel wanted by them. He squeezed her hands gently.

"I'm sure you'll find out one day." He brushed a few strands of hair from her face, a sudden surge of compassion for her overwhelming him. "You're going to make some guy out there the luckiest man on the planet."

"You really think so?" She smiled up at him, her eyes slightly watery.

"Are you kidding? Your cooking is the best," he joked. She laughed, the sound melodic and enchanting.

"That's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say!"

"You should probably call the men in white coats to come and lock me away." She smiled but there was a light in her eyes that sent a stab of concern through him.

"What if I can't find that man?" In her eyes he saw true fear. "What if I find him and he doesn't want me? I've waited so long, Sasuke."

"Why would he not want you?" Sasuke found it hard to believe there was a man on earth who wouldn't want her. He certainly wasn't an exception, he was just putting a _lot_ of effort into resisting her.

"Well I'm not pretty like Sakura or beautiful like Ino, I'm just... plain. And I'm not very interesting."

"Hinata, you're the most beautiful woman in existence." Sasuke's heart lodged itself in his throat. He honestly didn't know why he was telling her all these things. He'd never even been brave enough to _think_ things like this. Anyone would think he was in lo- No. He wouldn't even let himself finish that thought. It was stupid.

"Would you kiss me again, Sasuke?" He nearly choked on his own breath. That was the last thing he ever expected to hear from her lips.

"What?"

"When you kissed me... it felt like you needed me. I wanted to feel it again, even if you don't mean it," she explained. She leaned slightly closer to him. His gaze flickered to her full, slightly parted lips. He closed the distance between them, his lips only millimetres away from hers. Her scent filled his senses, but it was mixed with alcohol. He was so close, but... he couldn't do it. Before he could stop himself, he stood up and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Sasuke rested his back against the closed door. He slid down it until he was sitting on the floor, where he took a few deep, shaky breaths. He couldn't believe he had just done that. It would have been so easy to just... he should get a fucking medal for doing what he just did. He ran a hand through his hair while he tried to get his heartbeat back to normal. Over and over, he could imagine himself buried deep inside her, hear her moans next to his ear as she came for him. He leaned his head back against the door. The memory of when he had kissed her under that damn mistletoe seared him. His suit trousers felt tight.

* * *

Standing, he strode to the coat stand and rummaged in a few pockets until he found a packet or cigarettes and a lighter. He only smoked when he was stressed, and this definitely counted as one of those times. He headed for the elevator.

Sasuke placed a cigarette between his lips, flicking open his lighter. He put his other hand around it to shelter it from the wind and lit the cigarette. He inhaled deeply as he put the lighter back in his pocket. Already he felt better. The sound of the city filled his ears and for a second he could forget what had happened in the building behind him. Until he opened his eyes.

What the hell was wrong with him? He should just go back up there and fuck whatever he was feeling out of his system. But then that had been his theory about kissing her and look how well that had turned out. He took another drag of the cigarette.

What was the problem? He'd been with women who'd had more than their fair share of alcohol. Yeah, he was what gave men a bad name and he knew it, but at least he never promised to call or told lies to get them into his bed. All the women he slept with knew exactly what he wanted with them from the word go. But it was...different with Hinata. He didn't know why. To sleep with her while she was in this state... the thought made him uncomfortable. _Because you don't want to just _fuck_ her, you want to _make love_ to her_, he thought. He scoffed at the idea. It sounded like he had a thirteen year old girl in his head. The concept of 'making love' to _anyone_ was ridiculous.

Sex was raw and animalistic. Two people seeking a little bit of pleasure and excitement in heir otherwise mundane, monotonous lives. Love simply wasn't necessary. He knew that first hand. He was Sasuke Uchiha. He didn't love anything or anyone, and it was going to stay that way. There was no way on earth he loved Hinata. She had only been in his life for a few weeks. She was kind, considerate, trusting... everything he wasn't.

She really was going to make some guy very happy. It just wasn't going to be him. Because he didn't love her in any way, shape or form. And he was going to prove it. Anything to sate this fire inside him.

* * *

Sasuke entered the first club he came to without delay. As predicted, because it was New Year, the club was still packed, even though it was extremely late, or obscenely early depending on how you looked at it. Within a minute and attractive woman with dyed brown hair approached him. Short skirt, high heels, low cut top. Perfect.

"Hey, handsome, has anyone kissed you this year?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and smiling.

"No," he replied, taking her hand and leading her towards the back of the club, where the toilets were.

He pushed her up against the wall, not even bothered that anyone could walk in on them. He kissed her. He gave it really everything he had. But he felt nothing. He pulled back to look at her.

"Wow, that was one hell of a kiss," she said, breathless.

He kissed her again, his hands roaming her body. But it was not use. She was too skinny, her lips were too thin, her hair the wrong colour, her scent was all wrong, her voice didn't sound right, her eyes were too dark... He staggered back.

"Hey, is something wrong?" she asked, confused.

"Everything," he breathed. He turned on his heel and left her standing there, breathless.

Sasuke left the club as quickly as he could. He got outside, his hands shaking. What the fuck was wrong was wrong with him? He shouted out in anger and punched at the brick wall. He leaned against it, his breathing ragged, the knuckles on his right hand now grazed and bleeding but he didn't care. So what if she was drunk? So what if it would be her first time? Since when did he care about other peoples' feelings anyway? He wanted her and he had yet to find a woman who could say no to him. Yes it was arrogant of him to think so but it was true. Maybe if the women of this time had some self respect he'd have more of a challenge with them. Hinata would be just like the rest of them. She'd even asked him to kiss her.

His mind set, he headed back to his apartment.

* * *

Sasuke threw his coat off, striding towards his room. It landed on the sofa. He opened the door, fully intending to give her some very new and pleasurable experiences. That wasn't what happened.

He froze as he saw her, leaning back on the wall, suddenly unsteady. How could he have thought even for a second she would be like the other women he knew? Seeing her there, asleep in his bed, he knew he just couldn't do it. She looked like a goddess there, her long ebony hair fanned out around her, pale skin standing out against his blood red sheets. She was unique, unlike anyone he had ever encountered. His chest felt tight as he watched her. He pressed a hand over his heart, trying to get rid of the strange sensation. What made her different to the others? What was it about her that made him react like this? He pulled a chair across the room and put it next to the bed. He sat down, for some reason unable to take his eyes off her.

* * *

Hinata woke the next morning with a headache. A really throbbing, horrible headache. She sat up slowly, rubbing her forehead. She started as she realised she was naked under the bed sheets. Bed sheets that didn't feel like her usual sheets. And her usual bed sheets didn't smell this good either. Her sheets only smelt of washing powder, but these smelt warm, comforting. She opened her eyes and didn't recognise the dimly lit room she was in. What the hell was going on?

She reached for the lamp that was on a table by the side of the bed. She gasped and started to panic. Where the hell was she? Worse, she couldn't remember anything that had happened last night. What had she done?

She looked around the room, trying to stay calm, which wasn't really working. It was quite a large room, and everything was mainly white and black, except for the deep crimson sheets she clutched at her chest. Her eyes drifted around the room, not really picking up anything distinctive or recognizable to tell her where she was. Her eyes fell to a suit jacket that was hung up on a wardrobe door. She recognised it instantly. It was Sasuke's suit from last night...

Hinata felt sick. She was naked. Naked in Sasuke's bed. She hadn't recognised the room because she'd never been inside, assuming because he kept the door closed it meant he didn't really want her to go in. Had she really been so far gone last night that Sasuke and her...that she and Sasuke had... had...she couldn't even think it. Just when she had started to convince herself that nothing like this would ever occur... This could just _not_ have happened! No, no, no, _anything_ but this...

She needed to get dressed. Needed to get out of his bed. Wrapping the sheets around herself, she got up and walked towards the door. She opened it a crack, not really wanting to run into Sasuke just yet. She couldn't see him in the living room, and the apartment was practically silent. Deciding it was safe, she opened it all the way and stepped out. And bumped right into him.

She squeaked in surprise and stumbled back, but he caught her in his strong arms before she could even fall. Her heart beat faster at his sudden proximity. His dark eyes seared her. She felt lightheaded. Would it really be so bad if they had slept together last night?... Wait of course it would be! Even if she wanted to sleep with him, she at least wanted to remember it! And this was Sasuke, after all. He slept with women and moved on, which wasn't really what she wanted from a relationship.

"Are you ok?" With his arms around her, yes she was. She frowned at the uncharacteristic thought.

"Y-yes," she stammered. He took his arms away from her and she took a couple of steps back. It was strange, but she suddenly felt cold without his arms around her. She watched as he walked past her and threw open the curtains, making her eyes sting for a few moments. He looked out onto the city, his arms folded across his chest. His shirt was untucked and looked rather crumpled, the sleeves rolled back to his elbows and the top few buttons undone. Was it the same shirt as yesterday? Why would he put the same clothes back on after they had... wait, that _might_ mean that they _hadn't_... She needed to know for sure,

"Sasuke?" He turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Last night... did we...um...you know..." She looked meaningfully at the bed, blushing.

"Have sex?" he said bluntly. She nodded, blushing even more and holding the sheet around her tighter. Sometimes she liked how blunt he could be, because right now she could bring herself to say what she thought might have happened.

"I should say yes, to scare you into never drinking again, but no, we didn't," Sasuke said. He furrowed his brow at the relief that flooded her face. Was the idea of sleeping with him really that repulsive to her? He didn't know why but the thought that she didn't even like him made him feel... disappointed? He walked past her, out of the room.

"You should get dressed," he said over his shoulder. He walked to the kitchen.

Why did he feel so dejected? It shouldn't matter to him if she found him attractive or not, he had decided last night that he wasn't going to sleep with her. He didn't know how long he had sat there, watching her sleep, only that at one point he suddenly realised it was getting kind of creepy and left the room. He had attempted to get some sleep on the sofa, but his thoughts kept drifting back to her. She deserved someone better than him, someone who could make her happy. Someone who could love her back. And he just wasn't _capable_ of love anymore... He hissed in pain as he squeezed the glass he was holding a bit too tight, making it shatter, shards of glass cutting into his palm. Shit, he hadn't realised he'd been holding it that tight. He rummaged in a cupboard for the first aid kit, holding his left hand upright so there wouldn't be as much blood. He heard Hinata gasp as she came out of her room. He glanced back at her before looking back in the cupboard. Where was that damn kit?

"Sasuke, what happened?" She rushed over to him and pulled out the first kit from a different cupboard. Why did she know where it was and he didn't? It was his goddamn apartment!

"Don't know my own strength," he replied.

"Let me see it," she said, holding her hands out to him.

"I can do it myself," he snapped. She let out an exasperated sigh. Why did he have to be so difficult?

"For once, Sasuke, _please_ just let me help you." He scowled and held his hand out to her. "Thank you." She took his hand into hers and inspected it. There were several pieces of glass embedded in his flesh, but none of them looked too deep, which was good. She rummaged in the first aid box and found a pair of tweezers and some bandages.

Sasuke watched Hinata as she pulled shards of glass from his hand with the tweezers. She now wore a red thickly knitted turtle neck jumper and jeans. Why did she have to be so...nice? He hadn't asked for her help and yet she gave it anyway. His gaze fell to her hands. They were so delicate and graceful, so different from his larger, more masculine ones. He bit back a curse as she pulled one of the larger pieces of glass from his hand.

Hinata focused on the glass in Sasuke's palm. It had to hurt when she pulled each piece out and yet so far he hadn't made a sound. When she had finished pulling the glass out, she washed the blood off with water and wrapped the bandage around his wrist and hand. She patted the bandage and smiled at him, stealing his breath.

"There now, good as new," she said happily, putting the first aid kit away again.

Sasuke watched as she walked back to her room. Her tenderness seared him. He was used to the type of kindness people showed when they wanted something in return. But Hinata…she gave without hesitation. How could a person like that even exist in this world? It was hard to comprehend. She was so pure, untainted by the cruel world he lived in. He shouldn't want her and yet he craved her like no other. She made him feel…he couldn't even begin to describe it. He was used to knowing exactly what he wanted and how to get it. But she complicated everything. All he knew was it was getting more and more difficult to resist her.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_Looks like the ice block that is Sasuke Uchiha is starting to melt...but all these new emotions are very confusing and frustrating for poor Sasuke :( I wonder how he will cope? And when he will finally realise he has feelings for Hinata?_

_See you next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata lay on her bad, trying to remember what had happened last night. Her bed had still been a mess from deciding what to wear, so maybe that was why Sasuke had just let her sleep in his bed. But was there more to it than that? Sasuke seemed to have been looking at her differently this morning, like he was wary of her. Had something happened? Maybe she should call Sakura, no doubt if something embarrassing had happened to her Sakura would have no problem recounting all the gory details of it. Perhaps there would be something that could at least tell her where she had been in her bag? She had heard Sasuke leave the apartment a short while ago, so she decided it was safe to retrieve her things from his room. She didn't want to have to face him again just yet, when she had no idea what she may have said to him last night. Leaving her room, she went across into Sasuke's room, taking the sheet she had wrapped around herself until she had dressed with her.

Throwing the sheet over the bed, the draft it created made Sasuke's masculine, alluring scent hit her like a wall. Feeling slightly dizzy, she straightened the sheet and turned to see her clothes draped over a chair near the bed. She picked them up and started to leave the room, but something caught her eye. There was a glass on the bedside table closest to the door.

And next to it there was the photograph of Sasuke's family.

Suddenly she remembered everything. The club, Sasuke taking her home, Sasuke taking care of her, Sasuke comforting her...he had been so..._nice_... She placed her fingers to her lips...she had asked him to _kiss_ her... And his family...he had been so _young_...what had happened to them? From his words it mustn't have been pretty.

She was distracted from her thoughts as her phone started to ring in her pocket. She fished it out and frowned, not recognising the number.

"Hello?" she said, wondering who it could be.

"Hello, is this Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Yes," she replied cautiously. This was getting stranger and stranger.

"This is Suzuki Aoi. I'm the manager of the Black Lotus in central Tokyo. We currently have a vacancy in our bar staff. Would you still be interested in the position?"

* * *

Sasuke got back into the apartment after another much-needed cigarette to hear Hinata speaking to someone on her mobile phone. He could hear her voice through her door.

"Yes, oh, thank you so much, you won't regret this!" There was a pause. "Okay, thank you again, goodbye," she said excitedly. Who was she talking to? He took his coat off and hung it up on the stand. Her door opened and she bumped right into him, knocking her off-balance.

"Oh, Sasuke, I didn't hear you come in!" she exclaimed, trying to steady herself.

"It's fine," he said, setting her back onto her feet.

"I have great news!" she said animatedly. She smiled up at him. Why did he get the feeling he wasn't going to like what she was about to say? "I have a job!" She clasped her hands together and smiled even wider.

"That's great," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. He watched as she practically skipped to the kitchen. Why did his stomach feel so uneasy? This should be a good thing. Now she had a job she could move out and he could get back to the way his life was before he had met her.

"The manager was very understanding when I explained my situation and he said I'll be paid weekly at first, so I'll be able to start paying you back and move out quite soon." She busied herself with making some lunch, her hangover clearly forgotten.

"Great," he said again, feeling a bit shellshocked. He went into his room so he didn't have to watch her be so happy that she would be moving out. God, why did he feel so angry? It was a good thing she would be going. He wasn't supposed to want her anyway. She clearly couldn't wait to leave. And why wouldn't she? No one else seemed to be able to stand his presence for longer than ten minutes if he wasn't in bed with them. He looked down at the bandages around his hand and thought back to how she had tended his wounds for him. She was so kind and loving... The thought of her leaving made his chest tight. It was selfish of him to want her to stay and he couldn't even think of a good enough reason to explain why he wanted her to. He let out a frustrated sound. This would be a lot easier if he didn't want her so much.

* * *

Once the thrill of finally getting a job had worn off somewhat, Hinata's thoughts returned to Sasuke. She thought he would have been happy she had a job and could start paying him back, but he had seemed instead...upset? Angry? She couldn't quite place the emotion. Thinking back to what he had told her last night, she sighed. She just couldn't figure him out! She wanted to help him, if he could only let her in, but she was beginning to doubt she would ever even see him smile properly, let alone confide in her. She sighed again. It was quite possible she would move out without knowing much more about him than she had when she moved in. Yes, they didn't talk that much, but she had to admit, she would miss him and his strange ways. At least when she left he could get back to his normal life. From what she could tell, he had been changing his normal routine in small ways ever since she moved in. They ate together quite often even though he could just as easily go out to eat alone, and she had noticed he was bringing women back to the apartment less and less as time went on. Maybe, if she had enough free time with her new job, she could try to get him to open up more before she left, and they could become better friends.

Hinata made an aggravated sound as she tried to do her tie in the mirror. It was part of her uniform for work, which consisted of a white shirt and a black skirt and tie, along with a black apron to tie around her waist. She had been working at the club for three days, and it was going quite well, as everyone seemed friendly enough and she had developed a talent for hearing customers' orders even over the loud music. Every day however, she hated doing her tie. Why couldn't she remember how to do it? Sighing, she exited her room and went to find Sasuke, who was sat on the sofa reading a newspaper, his brow furrowed. He was dressed in black jeans and a t-shirt, as it was his night off so he wasn't dressed for the host club. He usually went out, though she wasn't sure where or who he met. That usually wasn't till later though.

"Sasuke, can you help me with my tie again?" He glanced across at her as she sat down next to him, putting his paper on the table in front of them and leaning over to her. His gaze remained focused on the tie as he did it in about four seconds flat. He straightened her collar, his hand resting on her neck for a second. Hinata's heart skipped a few beats as his fingers brushed her skin. He traced the line of her lower lip with the pad of his thumb, his dark eyes flickering up to meet hers. The look there seared her, and she suddenly forgot to breathe for a second. He leaned slightly closer, but instead of kissing her like she had expected, he stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

"You really need to learn how to do that tie yourself before you move out," he said over his shoulder. Hinata's heart beat rapidly in her chest. Why did she feel...disappointed?

"Y-yes, I will do," she stammered back, feeling a little unsteady. He had been so _close_...and she hadn't wanted to stop him. The thought worried her a little. Just how far would she let him go? Suddenly she noticed the time on her watch. She stood up quickly, rushing to her room to get her apron, shoving it in the pocket of her coat as she went to the coat stand in the living room. She spoke across the room to Sasuke.

"I have a long shift tonight, so I'll be back late."

"Right," he replied, not looking up from his paper. It was if nothing had happened a few moments ago. God, why was he so difficult to read? If only he was as simple as his newspaper. She went to the elevator and stepped inside as the doors opened.

"Okay, see you later," she muttered, not really expecting a response. She didn't hear one before the doors closed.

* * *

Hinata was putting her coat in her locker at the club when Nana arrived next to her.

"Hey, how have you been?" she asked, smiling. Nana was a nice, upbeat girl, who was a little taller than Hinata with a short, messy white-blonde hairstyle. She was usually assigned to the same shifts as Hinata, and they had got along well enough over the last few nights.

"Oh, hi, Nana! I'm fine, how about you?"

"Hmm, can't complain," she replied, putting her bag in her locker. Hinata straightened as Suzuki, their manager, approached them. He smiled, rubbing his hands together.

"How are we tonight, girls?"

"Absolutely fantastic, sir!" Nana said, saluting him in a military fashion. He laughed and spoke again.

"Hinata, you're downstairs tonight, Nana, take her down with you," he said, rushing past them to talk to someone else who had just entered the room.

Nana smiled and took her arm. "Come one, newbie, you haven't been downstairs yet have you? The bar is pretty much the same as the upstairs club, but the clientele are a bit...different."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, puzzled.

"Well, upstairs is a normal, drunken idiots dancing club, right? Downstairs, once a week..." She paused and turned to face Hinata for maximum effect, clasping her hands together. "It's a fight club!" Hinata blinked.

"A fight club? Like with Brad Pitt?" She had seen the movie a couple of years ago but hadn't really understood it, as it hadn't been subtitled and she didn't know enough English to understand the conversations. It had been violent. Nana started walking again.

"Kind of, I guess, but they're more cage fighters in here. Oh, Hinata, you should see the current champion! He's stunning! And _so_ strong..." She sighed dreamily. "But I haven't plucked up the courage to go and talk to him yet...maybe he'll come to the bar again tonight..."

They went through a door at the end of the short corridor to a flight of stairs, which came out behind another bar.

"Hey, Shouji, we're taking over now," Nana said to a tall man with light brown hair who was currently drying a glass.

"Cool, I'll see you tomorrow." He put the glass down and untied the apron around his waist. "I'm glad I've not got the main shift down here tonight. There's a battle royale to kick off the year so things might get a bit rowdy." Nana laughed and put her hands on her hips in a pose very reminiscent of a superhero.

"Don't worry about me, Shouji, I can handle the rabble in here!" He laughed and ruffled her hair.

"Hey stop it!" Nana squealed, batting him away with her hands. Hinata smiled at their behaviour. It was clear the two had at least been working together for a long time. Shouji laughed again before making his way over to Hinata.

"Hey, I don't think we've met, I'm Fukuzawa Shouji," he said, bowing slightly.

"Hyuuga Hinata," she replied, bowing back. Shouji smiled and headed for the stairs.

"See you two around," he called over his shoulder, holding up a hand and disappearing up the stairs.

"Bye!" Nana yelled after him. She turned back to Hinata. "Okay, so the place is empty now but, trust me, it'll be packed in a little while."

* * *

Sure enough, less than an hour later, the club was packed. Hinata hadn't really wanted to watch a bunch of testosterone fuelled morons duke it out, but it looked like she would be too busy serving people at the bar to even notice the actual fight anyway. The room was packed, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the room while music played through speakers placed in every corner of the room. There was a large cage set up in the middle of the room, and there were seats around it, getting higher with each row. There was room for a standing audience in front of the seats, which was packed right up to the barriers that were set up around the cage. She never would have thought there would be such a large audience for this kind of thing. As she finished serving someone, the lights dimmed and the background music stopped. The crowd cheered as an overweight, balding man came through the double doors opposite the bar and cage.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" his voice boomed from the speakers through the microphone he was holding. "Well let's get right down to it. I've got a treat for all of you tonight, because we're starting the year with a bang. Tonight is a wild battle royale to see if _anyone_ can beat our reigning Champion. So without further ado, let's bring out the fighters!"

Hinata lost interest as the various fighters went into the cage, and she had customers to serve anyway. Nana leaned over to her and pointed to the door. "This'll be him now!"

"Who?" Hinata asked, confused.

"The champion!" She sighed. "_Raven_..." Hinata looked towards the announcer, she had to admit, she was intrigued to see this champion she kept going on about.

"And now," the announcer said. "The twelfth and final contestant! The ladies' favourite!" Several women in the audience cheered. "Isn't it about time someone wiped the smirk off that handsome face? It's your Champion, Raven!"

The doors opened once more as a black haired man, Raven, strode confidently into the room. Dressed only in a pair of black jeans and heavy looking boots, he certainly was just as handsome as Nana had made him out to be.

But Hinata didn't see a man called Raven. She saw a man called Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke exhaled deeply as he waited to go into the fight. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck to loosen up. He even dropped to the floor and did a few press-ups. He was confident he could win but matches like this always got more brutal than usual so he had already booked the week off from the host club to recover. And Hinata had said she was working late tonight, so if he did get any obvious injuries at least he could get home before her so she wouldn't see and question him.

The two men on the door opened them for him and he strode through to the cage. The crowd was practically deafening. As he approached the DJ started playing music again, Pendulum's remix of "Voodoo People" by The Prodigy if he wasn't mistaken. The cage door was closed behind him by a woman in a bikini top and short leather skirt. As the music kicked in properly a loud buzzer went off, signalling the start of the fight.

Immediately, the man to Sasuke's right threw a punch at him. He ducked, countering with his own punch using his left hand, followed by a shattering blow from his right. The man crumpled to the floor and didn't get back up. Sasuke stalked towards his next victim. He grabbed the shoulder of a man who looked too young to even be doing this and threw him against the cage, making it rattle. As the younger man straightened up Sasuke delivered a perfect roundhouse kick to his head, forcing him to stagger back against the cage. Sasuke let him recover for a few seconds before finishing him off with a few more punches. He didn't have time to consider who to go after next as the decision was made for him.

Ren, a fighter with brightly coloured crimson hair and tattoos, pulled him around and landed a solid strike to Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke liked the man, he had a twisted sense of humour that only Sasuke seemed to appreciate and was a decent fighter. But now wasn't the time to hold back. Ren certainly wasn't. Sasuke responded with a punch of his own, making Ren stagger back. Sasuke picked him up in a sort of fireman's lift before slamming him down on the floor of the ring. Ren let out a grunt of pain before Sasuke dropped to one knee. Only his knee landed on Ren's throat. He waited as Ren struggled to breath, trying to push Sasuke off him before he fell still, unconscious.

Sasuke stood up and turned to see five other fighters on the floor out cold. Two others were locked in a battle while the last one strode towards Sasuke. Standing a couple of inches shorter than Sasuke, Soshi had short blonde hair and a lip piercing. As he neared, Sasuke caught him around the neck, flipping him over and onto the floor. Soshi stood back up but Sasuke kicked him in the chest, forcing him away. Suddenly he felt a hard blow to his back, knocking the breath out of him and forcing him to his knees. While he was recovering, his attacker went after Soshi. Sasuke knew as soon as he realised who it was Soshi didn't stand a chance. Sasuke stood to face him, refusing to be intimidated by him, even as he had just knocked out Soshi with one blow.

Fear was a 6'6" giant, who seemed to be made from a pile of muscle. He had a shaved head and a metal ring septum piercing, with his name tattooed on his collarbone. Of all the fighters in the match, this was the one Sasuke was most worried about. He had known they would end up as the last two men standing. He certainly was scary, but then Uchiha Sasuke did not get scared. As Fear circled him slowly, Sasuke formed a strategy. The brute relied on pure strength and power to win his matches. He was slow, and Sasuke was anything but.

Fear swung at Sasuke, who ducked and punched at him. It was a powerful blow to Fear's torso, but it only made him pause for a split second. Fear punched at Sasuke again, who took the punch and fell to the floor on his back. He tasted blood, but it was all part of the plan. As Fear approached him, Sasuke used the strength of his upper body to kick upwards at Fear, his heavy boots colliding with Fear's face. He cried out and staggered back in pain, while Sasuke used the momentum of the move to flip back to his feet. Fear recovered quickly and Sasuke narrowly missed another punch to his head, ducking to the side only to receive an agonising blow from Fear's other fist. He shook his head to clear the pain but before he could attack back he was pushed up against the wall of the cage. He hissed in pain as the wires cut into his back and Fear held him up off the ground.

"The title of Champion is mine," he snarled, pushing Sasuke against the cage even harder. Sasuke gave a short, bitter laugh, a little blood trickling from his lips.

"I don't think so," he answered, head butting Fear, making him drop Saskue. His forehead throbbed from the move but it had given him the advantage. Ignoring the pain that seemed to be all over his body, Sasuke punched at Fear. He climbed up the side of the cage and jumped down, spinning and delivering a bone-shattering kick to Fear's head.

He went down and didn't move. The buzzer sounded again, signalling the end of the fight.

Takahashi stepped into the cage, over the bodies of unconscious fighters and held Sasuke's arm up in the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, your Champion!" The crowd erupted into cheers, the music even louder. Sasuke looked around the room, the adrenaline rush still coursing through his veins making his heart pump faster.

It was a blur of faces, but there was one that suddenly stood out. Standing behind the bar was Hinata, watching him with wide eyes, as still as a statue.

* * *

Hinata couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. _This_ was what Sasuke did on his night off? She felt sick. So she had been living with a psycho after all. A brutal, sadistic psycho. What on earth possessed him to do such a thing? And every week? That hadn't been like the professional wrestling stuff you saw on television. _All_ of that had been real… Why would he put himself through such pain? Her stomach clenched as their eyes met across the room. And to think…she had thought herself actually beginning to like him. She had wanted to help him. Yes he did need help, but from a psychiatrist, not from her.

The feeling of revulsion slowly turned into one of anger. How could he have kept something like this from her? No, they weren't exactly close or anything, but surely this was the kind of thing you tell the person living with you? How dare he not tell her! It was difficult to stop herself screaming out in anger. _Just you wait until I get home, Sasuke_, she thought furiously.

* * *

Sasuke was pacing his apartment. He should have known she'd find out sooner or later. It was his own damn fault for not even asking where had hired her. But he hadn't wanted her to find out like this… he wasn't sure if he wanted her to find out at all. He should just go to bed and clean up properly, why should it matter what she thought? It was his choice after all. He looked up as the elevator doors opened. Hinata stormed out.

"How dare you keep something like this from me?" she asked angrily, striding towards him. His temper snapped immediately.

"Why do I have to tell you anyway?"

"Sasuke, I live with you! It would be nice if I knew I was living with a psychopath!"

"A psychopath? Is that what you think? It's my life and I'll do what I damn well please!"

"But why this? What, do you get a kick from inflicting pain?"

"What gives _you_ the right to say what I can and can't do? You know nothing about me!"

"Then tell me!" He gave a short, hollow laugh.

"You want to know about me?"

"Yes! Sasuke, I've lived with you for a month and I hardly know anything about you! Every time I ask you something you get all defensive! Why would you do such a thing?"

Sasuke was ranting before he could stop himself. She wanted to know about him? Fine. She would be leaving soon anyway and he would never see her again.

"Right! Have it your way!" he shouted. "Want to know why I'm like this? Why I fuck everything in a skirt and why I beat people up for a living? You want to know why I'm fucked up in the head? I'll tell you! I had a normal life until I was seven. There was a family meal, everyone was there, my parents, aunts, uncles, even family friends! Everything was fine until my brother arrived. He showed up and can you guess what he did? No? He killed everyone. _Everyone_. Butchered them like pigs on the floor. I watched my parents _die_, Hinata. But he left me alive. You know what he did after he had murdered everyone I loved? He helped clean my parents blood off my face, told me it was important that I look my best because _we_ were the head of my family's company now. That we would make the company more powerful than it had ever been. My parents ideals were old-fashioned he said. They couldn't see the bigger picture, and it would be a new age. So I've not been the same since then. I'm not _normal_. And do you know the best part? I sleep with so many women in a futile attempt to fill the void in my life and I fight in a cage every week because I'm just so fucking angry with it all. I can't let anyone get close to me because they'll just get ripped away from me as well. So there you have it. That's really all there is to tell. So don't you _ever_ question why I do the things I do."

Hinata stared at him, her eyes filling with tears. What he described was just devastating, soul-crushing… Every day… He was so alone. How could he bear it? Her heart breaking, she felt herself fall to the floor, tears overflowing from her eyes. No wonder he acted the way he did…She wanted so badly to just hold him, tell him everything was okay, but she knew it would be useless. His heart was hardened and guarded to a point so extreme it was unbearable. He was always pushing people away, never once finding solace from his pain… She cried even harder.

Sasuke's heart clenched unexpectedly at the sound of Hinata's tears. Honestly, that was the last reaction he had expected. A wave of guilt consumed him. He crouched down next to her and put his arm around her shaking shoulders. He stroked her hair.

"Stop now, it's not your pain to feel," he whispered. "I didn't mean to…" Didn't mean to what? Tell her his darkest thoughts?

"H-how can you b-bear it?" she sobbed, wiping her eyes with her hands. "Does it ever get easier?"

"No." Every day was a battle. Sometimes he wondered why he didn't just put a gun to his head and finish it all. But then if he was anything, he was a survivor. He knew he wouldn't have it in him to end his own life, no matter what happened. Hinata clung to him as if she were drowning, like she was letting out all those years of keeping his emotions locked away for him. He closed his eyes and held on to her. It was so nice to be held for once…this woman, she now knew more about him that he had ever permitted anyone to know. He didn't even want to begin to contemplate what that might mean…

Hinata tried to stop her tears, but it was useless. He was so strong…and so alone…how did he do it?

In the end all she could do was cling to him and hope the tears would eventually stop.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_Quite a jump in Sasuke and Hinata's relationship...he finally opened up and revealed some of his past! But there is so much more to learn..._

_See you next time!_


	6. Chapter 6

Hinata leant against her door frame the next morning, watching Sasuke in the kitchen as he reached up into a cupboard and took out a plate. Her heart ached for him. The horrors he must have seen that night. She had wondered since she had met him why he was so cold and guarded. Now she knew. Yes, he had taken a big step by telling her of his family's fate, but she got the feeling that she had only just scratched the surface. Last night, after she had finally stopped crying, she had dared to ask him what had happened to him after their deaths. He still held her against him, and she had felt him tense at the question. _"I've done enough sharing for one night, Hinata,"_ he had said quietly, his voice hollow. Yes, she knew there was a _lot_ more to Sasuke than she could have ever anticipated. She bit her lip. Everyone deserved to have their secrets right? But just how many did he have?

Sasuke glanced around as he heard Hinata approaching the kitchen before looking back down at whatever he was making. She noticed that the red mark that had started to form around his left eye last night was now a reddish purple, and there was a cut on his bottom lip from when it had been bust open. He wasn't wearing a shirt again, and she could see that across the top of his shoulders there were vicious looking bruises in the pattern of the wire mesh of the cage from when he had been held up against it. Honestly, she was surprised he had managed to keep his other job a secret from her for so long. He never looked anything less than perfect. She reached up to brush a piece of his dark hair away from his face so she could see the damage properly. It was only then he looked properly at her.

"How do you manage to not get beat up like this more often?" she asked.

"I don't bruise easily," he replied, looking back down. "But fights like that always get rough." Hinata remained silent as he put some bread in the toaster. She still didn't understand why he did those fights, but she knew he had his reasons, even if they weren't simple. She sighed and went to the cupboard to get a plate out but before she got there Sasuke handed her a plate. Looking at it, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh, thank you!" she said, smiling up at him. She usually prepared hers or both their meals, so this was a first. Her heart swelled. Maybe he was beginning to like her. He merely nodded in response and carried on with his own meal. He remained silent for a few seconds before he put the knife in his hand down and turned to face her. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and regarded her sternly.

"Listen, last night...I've never told anyone what I told you so I'd appreciate it if you didn't go spreading it around," he said. Her heart fell. Still he didn't trust her.

"I would never do that to you, Sasuke." He didn't reply, just turned back to the counter. She sighed and left the kitchen to sit in the living room. Was he ever going to trust her?

* * *

Hinata didn't really see that much of Sasuke over the next day or so, as she suddenly had a lot of hours to do at work. It was tiring, but at least it meant she was getting some more money behind her. She groaned as she got back to the apartment. It was around four o'clock on Friday, and she wouldn't normally have been at work that early, but she had been roped in to helping restock the alcohol storeroom ready for the weekend. She flopped down on the sofa, not sure she had the energy to make it to her bed. Her eyes closed without her willing them to as she yawned. She had a couple of hours until her evening shift started, maybe she could have a little nap...

She jolted awake as a door banged shut. She sat up as she saw Sasuke leaving his room shrugging on a black suit jacket. "Going somewhere?" she asked blearily.

"Yes," he replied, pulling his coat off the stand. She sighed. Still so secretive. "See you in a bit," he muttered as he stepped into the elevator.

"Bye," she said back, even though he probably wouldn't hear it. Stretching, she looked at her watch, finding she had only been sleeping for half an hour. She yawned and stood up, deciding to have a shower, change clothes and get something to eat before she had to go back.

* * *

As soon as Sasuke got out of the door of the apartment building, something very pink bumped into him. Automatically, he reached to catch it before it could hit the ground.

"Wow, that's some serious muscle you've got there!" Sakura laughed in his arms, squeezing his biceps slightly. He set her back on her feet and she smoothed her clothes down before looking back up at him. "Do you always wear sunglasses in winter?"

"Hangover," he lied. They were really to cover the bruise around his eye. She nodded in sympathy. "Did you need something?" he asked impatiently.

"Oh, well I was going to put this in your letter box, but I guess I can just give them to you now, huh?" She rummaged in her bag for a moment. What the hell was she talking about? She pulled a couple of pieces of paper from her bag and handed to him. No, they weren't pieces of paper, they were photographs.

"They're from New Year's," Sakura explained. "I thought Hinata or yourself might want them, so I got copies printed." Sasuke tucked them into his inside jacket pocket without even glancing at them. "Oh, you're not going to look at them?"

"I'm in a rush," he answered stoically.

"Oh, ok, I'll let you get on then," she said, stepping out of his way. He started walking away but paused when she spoke again. "Wait a minute, is Hinata in? I was going to call her but if she's in anyway, while I'm here I might as well go and see her."

"Yeah, she's still up there," he replied, setting off again.

"Okay, thanks, I'll see you later!" she called after him. He put a hand up but didn't look back as he carried on walking. He couldn't be late for this meeting.

* * *

Sasuke took a seat on the train and sat still for a few minutes, looking around the cabin. Suddenly, he remembered the photos in his pocket. Taking them out, he looked at them. The first one was of all four of them, taken in the bar. Hinata and Sakura stood in the middle of Naruto and himself, hugging and smiling widely. Naruto was pulling a face at the camera and brandishing a bottle of alcohol while Sasuke stood on the other side of the girls, arms crossed with one eyebrow raised as he regarded his three companions. The next was of just Hinata and Sakura, and then one of just him and Naruto. But the final one took...it took his breath away. It was of Hinata and himself, Hinata closest to the camera, Sasuke next to her. She looked just...stunning.

She was laughing, her hand near her mouth, not looking at the camera, while he looked across at her, his elbow bent on the bar, resting his head on his hand. It looked like neither of them knew the photo was being taken. Before he knew it, he nearly missed his stop because he was distracted by the photo. He tucked them back in his pocket and left the train.

* * *

Sauke got back to the apartment around an hour later, to find Sakura still there, talking to Hinata on the sofa. They turned round to look at him as he stepped into the apartment. He narrowed his eyes. For some reason, Sakura looked very…suspicious, a wide grin plastering her face, while Hinata looked kind of embarrassed. He took his sunglasses off and tucked them in the pocket of his coat before taking it off and putting it on the stand.

"Don't you have a job to be at?" he asked, even though it really sounded more like a statement. Sakura beamed.

"I have a day off! Anyway, I was telling Hinata here about a recent event," she began excitedly. "You see, Naruto's always entering these stupid competitions, and usually nothing ever comes from it, but this time, we won!" She clapped her hands together before her face fell and she slumped forward. "But, it turns out that we can't go on the date it's organised for, so I was asking Hinata if you two would like to go instead!"

"Sure, why not?" he said sarcastically, taking his suit jacket off. "We'll just drop everything and elope, right, Hinata?" Hinata laughed slightly but Sakura apparently didn't pick up on his tone of voice.

"That's great!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. He sat down in between the two women and rested his head back against the sofa. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. That meeting had given him a headache.

"So where, what and when is it?" he asked.

"It's at the hot springs over in Hakone... And as for when...it's actually tonight," she said. Hmm, a trip to some hot springs definitely sounded like a good idea right now, and he already had the next few days off work...

"Hakone…I've been there once before about a year ago…" he sighed. Yeah, he could definitely go back there.

"Tonight?" Hinata exclaimed. "Sakura, I have work! Maybe you could ask Ino and Shikamaru?" Sakura shook her head.

"I already asked them, I thought they'd be free because Shikamaru is lazy and works at home, but they couldn't do it either," she explained.

"Ring your boss," Sasuke said to Hinata, standing. She looked at him, puzzled.

"What?"

"Just do it. And then give me the phone," he sighed. Those hot springs were really appealing to him and he wasn't going to let something like a job stop him going. His back was still sore from that Battle Royale.

Hinata pulled out her mobile phone from her pocket and scrolled down the address book until she found the number she needed. Pressing the dial button, she handed the phone to Sasuke. What was he going to do? Sasuke stood there and waited for an answer before heading into his room and closing the door behind him. "Suzuki, it's Sasuke..." That was all she heard before the door shut, closing her off from the conversation.

She looked back at Sakura, who looked just as confused as she did. After a few moments she spoke.

"So what do you think he's doing?" she asked Hinata. "Death threats? He looks like he could carry a few out..." Hinata laughed nervously. He certainly did today. He had looked particularly pissed off when he had come back into the apartment, and the healing bruise around his eye and cut on his lip didn't help matters. "How did he get a black eye?" Sakura whispered, pointing at his door. Fortunately, Hinata was saved from having to think of a response when Sasuke exited his room, making Sakura jump. He handed the phone back to Hinata and headed for the kitchen. "You'll be fine to take the weekend off," he stated. Deciding she wasn't really sure she wanted to know how he had managed to get her a weekend off after only working at the place for one week, she asked Sakura more about the hot springs.

"So what exactly is the prize?" Sasuke asked, wondering how long they would be there.

"It's the weekend at the hot springs, the best room, fully paid for, apart from transport to and from the place." She pulled an envelope from her bag and put it on the coffee table. "All the details are in here, so I guess I'll leave you guys to pack! I should be getting home anyway, so I'll see you soon!" She stood up and put on her coat while she headed for the elevator. She waved excitedly as she stepped inside.

"Have fun!"

Sasuke waited for Hinata to say something but she just sat there, looking a little shocked. After a few minutes, she spoke.

"How would we get there?"

"I'll deal with it," he replied.

"We won't be in the same baths you know. There'll be men's and women's."

He smirked and headed for his room to change clothes.

"Pack lightly and go down to the car park when you're ready. I'll meet you there," he said as he closed the door.

* * *

Hinata stood in the car park that was situated underneath the apartment complex, waiting for Sasuke. There were a fair amount of cars, and a few motorbikes, one of which was huge and black and obviously built for speed. There was a sleek black sports car next to the bikes, but other than that, everything looked pretty average. She wondered which car was Sasuke's, but the only one she could picture him in was the sports car. She turned as she heard the door open from the stairs that led down here.

Hinata sucked in a breath sharply as she saw Sasuke approaching her. Dressed in a well-fitting black leather biker jacket, rather tight leather pants and those heavy biker boots, he looked hotter than hell. The kind of man that made a girl go weak at the knees and forget her thoughts. He looked so fierce and commanding. His seductive walk and the predatory glint in his dark eyes suddenly made Hinata's throat dry. He headed for the monster of a bike that Hinata had first noticed when she had come down here. That seemed to bring her back to her senses. She ran after him.

"Whoa , we're not going on that thing are we?" she exclaimed. "It looks like a death-trap!"

"What, you don't trust me?" he asked, pretending to look hurt. He handed her another leather jacket he was carrying.

"I would have thought that sports car was yours, not a bike. You never told me you had a bike," she said as she shrugged the leather jacket on. The scent of leather and Sasuke struck her hard, making her dizzy. He must have worn this jacket a lot, as it was well broken in and comfortable. It fit her pretty well over her own warm coat, so it must be an old jacket as it would clearly be too small for him now. He had obviously been riding for a long time. She tried to imagine him as a young teenager, tearing up the road and breaking hearts wherever he went. She smiled at the thought, even though she couldn't really picture it.

"It _is_ mine. And you never asked."

"Oh, right, well that's fine then," she said sarcastically. One day she was going to find out where he got all his money from. Apparently working at a host club paid well. Sasuke smirked and handed her a helmet he had also been carrying.

"Besides, have you ever tried owning a car in Tokyo? It's hell. I only use it if I have to impress." He opened a compartment in the bike behind the seat and pulled another helmet out before putting their bags inside and closing it. He moved to the side of the bike and swung one of those long, muscular legs across it. Hinata's heart hammered in her chest. There was just something so innately masculine about seeing him on that beast of a motorcycle. He turned slightly to face her and smirked again. "Get on and hold on tight," he stated, putting his helmet on.

Hinata put her own helmet on and obliged, sitting behind him. Her stomach was doing flips. Whether it was from apprehension or excitement or from being this close to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, she didn't know, but the whole thing was strangely exhilarating. He turned the key in the ignition and kick started the bike, sending them screeching out of the car park and out onto the street.

Hinata's hold on Sasuke's waist tightened as they sped through the city. He glanced down at her arms wrapped around him as they stopped at some traffic lights. Her breasts were pushed up against his back, her thighs pressed against his own. If only she'd drop one of those hands a few inches to the sudden bulge in his pants...but unfortunately he wasn't that lucky, and he had other things to think about, like getting hit by cars. Pushing those thoughts aside before they got him into trouble, he concentrated on the road.

* * *

Once Hinata had gotten used to the intense speed and harsh corners Sasuke took, the beauty of the city overwhelmed her. She never thought she would see it like this, the neon lights blurring around her like a dream. As it got later and they got out of the city to more rural areas, the air around her cooled and she huddled closer to Sasuke. She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. Yeah, she could stay here forever, snuggled up against him like this. It felt like they were the only two people in the world, and for some reason that didn't bother her. In fact, she quite liked the idea. Yes, he could be...awkward...but she had never met anyone like him. He was mysterious and alluring, charming and confident, and yet she sensed a pain in his soul that made her heart ache. He was ever the enigma.

Sasuke tried to concentrate fully on the road and remembering the way to the hot springs, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Hinata. He had never let anyone ride on his bike with him, but he had to admit, the way she was nestled against him felt kind of nice, which was wholly unexpected. He would have thought he would hate to have anyone ride with him. They had been riding for about an hour, and when Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts concerning Hinata, he realised that they were almost there.

* * *

Before Hinata knew it, they had arrived at the hotel. Thanks to Sasuke's reckless speed, they had arrived earlier than expected. He slowed and parked the bike in front of the building. Reluctantly, she took her arms from around him and dismounted the bike. Taking her helmet off, she gasped as she looked around at the hot springs. She hadn't really been paying attention once they had got out of the city, but now they were here the sight was incredible. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with the large, traditional complex building surrounded by trees and rocks, a cascading waterfall behind it. The rooms stretched up to the mountains, zigzagging up the rocks. Snow was had settled on everything, covering the place in a pristine white blanket. She turned to see Sasuke taking his helmet off. Suddenly the scenery seemed mediocre in comparison to how she reacted to seeing him. It was like during the ride she had somehow forgotten how handsome he was. He stretched, his jacket riding up to expose a section of his stomach. Hinata blushed at the sight, but in a second he relaxed and headed for the back of the bike to retrieve their bags. She took a few steps towards him and held out her helmet.

"You drive like a maniac," she stated. He grinned devilishly, making him look rather sinister.

"Didn't scare you too much, did I?"

"Are you kidding? It was terrifying!" Hinata exclaimed, hitting his shoulder playfully. "But once I got used to it, it really wasn't that bad, I guess," she added.

He smirked and slung their bags over one shoulder. He strode towards the entrance, and Hinata quickly followed. As they stepped through, they were greeted almost immediately by a shrill voice.

"Ah, Mr. Uchiha!" one of the female members of staff exclaimed, running out from behind the front desk. Hinata raised a suspicious eyebrow at Sasuke, who was currently being fussed over by three members of staff, all of them speaking at once. She felt a strange pang of jealousy at the sight.

"Oh, why didn't you come back sooner?"

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"Just look at these leathers, I didn't know you had a bike!"

"Now, now, girls, move along," an older woman said, coming out from behind a curtain and shooing them away.

"I thought you'd only been here once?" Hinata asked suspiciously.

"I have," he replied simply, shrugging.

"Oh, he's difficult to forget, I'm sure you understand," the middle-aged woman said, leading them towards the desk. Sasuke put the helmets down on the counter and leant against it, pulling the competition tickets out of his inside pocket. He put them on the table and slid them over to the woman.

"Oh, you won the competition? Congratulations!" she beamed, turning around and taking a key from the wall. "I'll take you up there now," she continued, gesturing for them to follow. She led them up some stairs and down a hallway to another set of stairs. At the top there was a single door, which she held open for them when she had unlocked it.

As they stepped inside, Hinata had to admit, it was beautiful. The room itself was quite large, with a balcony looking out to the picturesque scenery. It was decorated simply, with traditional sliding doors and windows, a couple of tasteful paintings or a mountain scene and of cranes hanging on the walls. There was a large bed and a sofa opposite it, and there was even a separate, private washroom, something that wasn't very common in hot springs.

"I'll leave you two alone now," the woman said, backing out of the room. "If there's anything you need, just call down and we will do our best to serve you."As Hinata heard the door close, something hit her. Her stomach filled with nerves. There was only one bed…

As if reading her thoughts, Sasuke spoke. "Don't worry, I'll sleep on the sofa," he said, taking off his boots and leaving them next to the door. He proceeded to place their helmets on a coffee table which was in front of a television set. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. She had no idea how she would cope with sharing a bed with him. He unzipped his leather jacket and hung it up in the wardrobe. Hinata took her own shoes off before hanging her coat up next to his. She yawned and flopped backwards onto the bed. Sighing contentedly, she stretched out. At least this was a chance to catch up on her sleep. She had barely slept since Sasuke had told her about his family, her worry and work keeping her up. Standing, she picked up her bag and headed to the bathroom to change.

"I'm going to go to bed, I think, I'm pretty tired," she said from the doorway.

"Yeah, me too," Sasuke admitted. Driving for a long time could really take it out of you.

* * *

While Hinata was in the bathroom he changed into some black pyjama bottoms he had brought and put his legs up on the sofa. Taking his t-shirt off, he dumped his clothes with his bag at the foot of the bed. He leaned his head back and rubbed his eyes but looked up when he heard Hinata exiting the bathroom. He sucked in a breath sharply. Dressed in a cream silk, rather short nightdress, she looked incredible. Did she always wear nightclothes like this? Damn, why was she always dressed in the morning before he saw her if she looked this good in pyjamas? What he wouldn't give to taste those lips again, run his hand up those thighs…this certainly wasn't going to help those dreams he'd been having about her…

Hinata blushed as she saw Sasuke half lying on the sofa. He had that predatory look in his eye again, sending a thrill down her spine. She felt a bit guilty as she saw that the two-seater sofa was barely big enough for his legs, let alone big enough for him to sleep on.

"I'll sleep on the sofa, Sasuke, you have the bed," she said to him.

"No, you take it, I insist," he said, gesturing to it.

"No, really, it's fine, I'll sleep on the sofa, I'm smaller than you," she argued back. He stood up and closed the distance between them.

"Well, since neither one of us wants the other to sleep on the sofa, how about we both sleep in the bed?"

"W-what?" she said, her throat dry. He gave her a mocking look.

"We're both grown adults, I'm sure we can handle it," he said, striding towards it. He got under the covers and put his arms up behind his head. Hinata took a deep breath. He was right, it wasn't like they were silly hormonal teenagers, and the bed was definitely big enough for both of them to have plenty of room.

"Do you have to be shirtless?" she asked as she slid in next to him, trying not to look at him. She was sure he did it just to embarrass her. How was she meant to sleep with _that_ next to her?

"Hey, be grateful I've got pants on," he replied. Hinata screwed up her face and rolled over, facing away from him. Sighing he reached down to the bottom of the bed to retrieve his t-shirt, pulling it over his head. He flopped back down.

"Thank you," Hinata said. He rolled over to switch off the lamp next to him, plunging them into darkness.

"Night."

* * *

Sasuke woke feeling surprisingly refreshed the next morning. While he had been trying to get to sleep last night, even though he was really quite tired, he had begun to think it was impossible he would drift off. Hinata's scent and warmth had invaded his senses and it had been extremely hard keeping his hands to himself. It felt so strange to be sharing a bed with someone and the only thing they were doing was sleeping. He rolled onto his side to look at her.

In the morning sun she looked almost otherworldly. Her full lips were slightly parted, her ebony hair fanned out around her. And those curves...he bit his lip. _No, stop thinking about that_, he thought. Dragging himself out of bed, he went to the bathroom to change, have a wash and clean his teeth.

* * *

Hinata rubbed her eyes blearily. Smiling, she stretched and sat up. Happily the night had passed without incident. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so well. At first she had been a little wary of Sasuke, as she wasn't completely sure he could keep his hands to himself, but it turned out he was a man of his word. She even felt a bit silly for not trusting him in the first place. She looked across to her left but Sasuke wasn't there. He must have gone down for breakfast already. Getting out of bed, she went to her bag and pulled out some of her clothes. Dressing, she quickly washed her face and cleaned her teeth before heading downstairs.

She spotted Sasuke almost immediately. Sitting at a table in the middle of the dining room, he was focused on his plate of food as she approached. There were a few other people dotted about, but not that many. He only looked up as she sat down opposite him.

"Where did you get that from?" she asked, not seeing any staff.

"Just ask one of the staff," he said, waving a hand towards the kitchen area. She looked over to it and could see part of someone preparing meals under a curtain. She looked back to realise Sasuke had now finished eating. He stood and stretched.

"Okay, I'm going to go to the baths, I really need one after driving for so long last night, and I couldn't sleep either."

"Sure, I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah," he said, leaving her to eat by herself.

Hinata hated to admit it, but she felt a little disappointed as she watched him leave. She had hoped that she would get a bit closer to Sasuke on the trip but it didn't look like it was going to happen. Even if it was just his favourite food or colour, but he never seemed to show a preference for anything. At least, she hoped to find out something more about him. She sighed. He wasn't the type to make small talk anyway.

* * *

Sasuke leaned his head back against the side of the bath, his arms stretched out either side of him. Closing his eyes, he relaxed, letting the hot water sooth his muscles. It was heaven. Until he felt a rippling disturbance in the hot water. Scowling, he tried to see who it was through the steam from the water.

"Hinata?"

Hinata tensed at the sound of someone saying her name. There was only one person it could be. Making sure her towel was _very_ secure, she approached him.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke bit his lip as he saw her. She had most of her hair clipped up, only her fringe and side bangs loose. But what he noticed most of all was that towel. Or, to be more specific, the amount of skin on show. Before he had chance to fully appreciate it, however, she sat down in the water until she was submerged up to her neck.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised she would be bold enough to come in the mixed bath section.

"There was a group of annoying noisy teenage girls in the women's baths so I thought I'd try the mixed ones."

"Yeah it was the same in the men's section, they must be here together," he replied. Neither of them spoke again for a few minutes, mainly because Sasuke was trying to think of anything other that Hinata naked. It wasn't working.

"It sure is nice up here," she sighed, sinking slightly deeper into the water.

"Yeah, it's nice scenery," he said. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wanted to punch himself. Nice scenery? What the fuck was that? But he had never been very good at small talk. What was the point of it? People should just say whatever was on their minds or nothing at all. He didn't speak again.

Hinata tried to relax in the water but it was proving rather difficult with Sasuke looking the way he did. At one point he leaned forward and she saw the bruises on his back were now just a few yellowish dots where the wire had cut deepest. Even the bruise around his eye had almost disappeared. She thought back to that night when she had first seen him in that cage. There had been a moment, when he had been pushed up against the cage, blood dripping down onto his chest, when she hadn't been shocked, or angry, but she had been terrified. Scared that he wouldn't win, that he wouldn't be alright. Her heart clenched as she thought of him going back to do exactly the same thing next week. And the week after that. She looked across at him, his arms stretched out and his head back against the side of the bath, the water starting about half way down his chest. Why did he do it? He could be a model or an actor, something that didn't involve a risk of serious injury.

As Sasuke looked at Hinata he felt a throbbing need in his chest. He wanted to kiss her so badly it practically hurt. Wanted to claim her. Her pale eyes met his and he had to restrain himself from doing something that would get them both into trouble in a public place like this.

Suddenly he stood up, making Hinata avert her eyes very quickly, blushing.

"I'm gonna go for a ride, I don't get out of the city much," he stated.

"O-okay," she stammered back, still blushing furiously. _It's a good job he's wearing a towel_, she thought.

"See you later," he called back.

Sighing with relief that he was gone and she could stop feeling awkward, Hinata relaxed somewhat. Deciding she wanted to stay in the bath a little longer, hopefully uninterrupted, she settled into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes.

* * *

Sasuke didn't return until late that night, when Hinata was getting ready for bed. He walked through the door, threw his helmet at the sofa and flopped down on the bed. She popped her head around the bathroom door. Good god, did he have to look so amazing in those biking leathers?

"Have a good trip?" she asked. He'd been gone for hours!

"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand while he stretched. It was a good job they had another day here, practically all his muscles were aching. After a few minutes he got up and took his jacket and boots off and traded places with Hinata in the bathroom. When he had freshened up and changed, he went back out to the bedroom. He caught sight of Hinata, who was already in bed, and sighed as he realised he'd have trouble getting to sleep again. He climbed in next to her and switched the lamp off.

"Goodnight," she yawned.

"Night." Now all he had to do was think of something, anything to take his mind off what he would rather be doing with Hinata in this bed.

* * *

Sasuke woke with a start, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked at the moonlight seeping in through the thin curtains. Alone again. _Relax Sasuke, it's only a dream. There's no one here._ He put a hand over his eyes, a light sheen of sweat covering his brow as he tried to get his breathing back to normal. How could he still feel their blood on him, even now? Every single detail had been so vivid...every scream, every drop of blood... He felt cold, so completely alone. He hadn't had a dream that bad in _months_. The pain was absolute. He raked his hand through his hair and waited for a few minutes as he tried to get the images of his parents' lifeless bodies out of his head. His mother's screams. He moved to raise his other arm to cover his face only to realise there was something holding on to it.

Hinata.

The sheer relief that surged through him at her presence should have worried him but right now he didn't care. He rolled onto his side to face her without even thinking and pulled her against him, his fingers knotting in her long hair as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He took a deep, shaky breath, her scent calming him on an unimaginable level. He closed his eyes.

There had never been someone here before. Someone there when he woke up.

Someone to hold on to.

As long as she was here, her warm body flush against his, he could pretend that he wasn't alone. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep and sighed, the small movement searing him to his very soul. He clutched her to him even tighter, never wanting to let go even for a second. He...just couldn't be alone after that dream...nightmare...no, memory. His breathing returned to a somewhat normal rhythm, and he exhaled slowly one last time, glad she wasn't conscious to see this moment of weakness.

Slowly he felt himself calming down. He didn't dare to let go of her, afraid that if he did he would wake up for real and be completely alone.

* * *

Hinata woke the next morning feeling so warm. She snuggled closer to the thing surrounding her. It was funny, the duvet didn't normally feel this good. It didn't smell this good either. She felt so safe and content. She smiled to herself. Oh, did she really have to wake up today? Why couldn't she just stay here? She tried to stretch a little, but found she couldn't move. Strange. Opening her eyes, all she could see was black material. Confused, she pulled back.

There didn't seem to be any trace of emotion on his face as he held her tightly against him. His left arm was draped over her waist, his right arm under her neck and bent at the elbow, holding her shoulder. One of his thighs was nestled in between hers and one of her own was hitched up over his hips.

Blushing furiously, she struggled to get free. Thankfully, after a couple of minutes, she was sitting upright and he hadn't woken up. Carefully getting up off the bed so as not to wake him, Hinata went to the bathroom. She splashed some cold water on her face. Why was her heart still beating so fast? _Because even when you realised it was him, you didn't want to move,_ a voice in her head said quietly.

"Shut up!" she said angrily.

"I didn't say anything," she heard Sasuke say groggily from the doorway. Her head snapped up to look at him, just as he took his hand away from his eyes.

"Oh! Um, not you…I mean…it doesn't matter," she stammered.

"Whatever," he replied, walking back to the bed. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, glad she hadn't had to think of an excuse for that. At least she wouldn't be waking up in his arms again any time soon.

* * *

"Sasuke, wait up!" Hinata called. After breakfast she had commented on how the view from the lake nearby must be incredible, and so naturally, Sasuke had insisted they set off to find out. Little did she know it was an excuse so he wouldn't have to see her in a towel again.

He waited for a moment for her to catch up before setting off again. "We're nearly there."

After a few more minutes walking, they reached the edge of the lake. And yes, the view was spectacular. On the side of the lake nearest to them a forest began, and turning around, Hinata could see miles and miles of pure white snow, and they could still see the hot springs behind them.

She looked over at Sasuke, who was staring out to the lake, his attention focused entirely elsewhere. She couldn't tell if he was actually looking at the lake or if he was deep in thought.

Standing there, Hinata felt an irresistible urge. No, she couldn't... she bit her lip. Yes she could. She picked up a handful of snow, moulding it into a ball in her palms. She took aim and threw it. Sasuke cursed as it hit the back of his neck and crumbled inside his collar.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he exclaimed, reaching down the back of his neck. She laughed.

"It's called a snowball fight. I challenge you, Sasuke Uchiha!" She threw another at him but this time he ducked. When he straightened up again she was already running away into the forest, laughing.

"Challenge accepted," he muttered. She was _so_ dead.

He scooped up some snow, compacting it and throwing it after her, hitting her in the back. She shrieked with laughter, turning around and throwing another snowball, hitting his shoulder. He had to admit, she had quite good aim. But not as good as him. He ran a few metres to catch up with her and threw a snowball right in the middle of her shoulders as he passed her. As she turned, he caught her about the waist, but the momentum of it was enough to spin her around and send them to the ground. She screamed with laughter as they fell. It was infectious, and the whole bizarreness of the situation made him laugh too.

Hinata was laughing but stopped and blushed as she realised how they had landed. She lay half on top of him, her legs tangled with his, his arm around her waist. But then she looked at his face and her heart did flips as she saw him. She started to giggle again, her heart nearly exploding from her chest. He was _laughing_.

She didn't think she had ever seen a more incredible sight, and she had seen him shirtless. It wasn't one of those short, hollow laughs he did, or even one of those sarcastic ones. He was laughing _properly_, the way people did when they found something funny, when they were enjoying themselves, when they had fun. The way one _should_ laugh. The sound was rich and deep, and she could feel the vibrations under her fingertips in his chest. And his smile...it stole her breath. She had never seen him smile like this, so unguarded and open, and she was beginning to doubt she ever would. But now that he did... she wished she could just stop time and stay like this forever. His smile was perfect, just like the rest of him, and she didn't think she had ever seen so many of his straight white teeth at one time. Her heart pounded in her chest. He was perfect, just devastating...God, how she loved this man...

Hinata froze. She couldn't believe what had just passed through her head. Staring up at him, she tried to rationalise. She couldn't love him. He was self-centred, arrogant, defensive, vain, rude, secretive and violent, he slept with everything in a skirt, and yet...deep down she knew the truth. No, no, no, this was all wrong… She realised she had felt this way for some time now, but hadn't recognised the signs. How could she deny it when she felt so lost to him? It was sick really, because she knew he would never love her back. Why did she have to wait so long for love and when it arrived it was with completely the wrong person? Her heart clenched with pain. This...changed everything. She should move out, get away from him and try to forget. But...she didn't want to. She wanted to stay with him. She felt tears threatening to well up as her heart and her head pulled her in two very different directions. What was she to do now?

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed like this. Had it been that long? It had to have been over a decade. Maybe fifteen, sixteen years? The best part was he didn't even know _why_ he was laughing. It was stupid, really, this whole situation, but he just couldn't help it. He looked across at Hinata and his laughter died as he saw her beautiful face. His heart stopped for a second. Her cheeks were slightly pink from the cold and the snowball fight. Snowflakes were scattered in her hair, her pale eyes wide as she looked at him. He tucked some of the hair that obscured her face behind her ear. God, she was so beautiful. Her breath mingled with his own in the cold air, and all he could think of was how soft her lips had been when he had kissed her under that mistletoe.

Hinata couldn't breath as his fingers brushed her skin. Automatically she turned her cheek into his palm. How was it so warm? She looked back at him, only to see his gaze now rested on... her lips? Her heart hammered in her chest.

"What would you do if I kissed you, Hinata?" She struggled to find words as those intense black eyes stared up at her as if searching for an answer. She shouldn't. It would just make everything a lot more difficult.

"Sas-"

Before she had even finished speaking his name, he moved his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her closer to capture her lips with his own. She moaned as her world shattered around her. How could such simple contact feel so amazing? Her heart swelled as he rolled on top of her, his weight resting between her hips. His lips made her feel light headed, teasing and tasting. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body up against his possessively. She could practically taste his passion as he quite literally kissed her senseless. Part of her wanted to push him off her, but the other part of her never wanted him to stop. How could she deny that she loved him when he made her feel like this? What she wouldn't give for this moment to last forever...

Sasuke's heart beat faster as he kissed her. Yes, this was what he wanted, what he needed. Honestly, he couldn't remember why he had been fighting it for so long. She just felt so right in his arms, tasted so sweet and addictive. Her lips were soft and full, her body warm and yielding beneath him. She sighed and he took the opportunity to taste her fully. He growled low in his throat at the sensation of her tongue moving with his. He knew she didn't have any experience with things like this, but damn, could she kiss. Never in his life could he remember a need this strong. The desire to possess her burned inside him like an inferno, and he honestly wanted nothing more than to strip them both naked and ravish her right here, right now. His hand brushed against some snow and he realised that particular fantasy would be far too cold for his liking. He moved to kiss her neck, pulling her scarf down so he could place his lips on the silken skin beneath it. No, he should take her somewhere more suiting, perhaps with a roaring log fire, somewhere with a roof and no interruptions, someplace where he could take as long as he wanted with her...

He froze, both figuratively and physically as a bird moved in a branch above them, displacing rather a lot of snow onto them. He, being on top, got most of it. Total mood killer. He heard Hinata stifle a laugh.

"This isn't funny," he stated, regarding her coldly. She nodded but he could tell she was supressing her laughter. He sighed and stood up, holding out his hand to help her up.

"Let's get back to the hotel," he said, wanting to get some of the snow from out of his top.

They walked back in silence, which gave Hinata some time to think. Just like when he had kissed her under that mistletoe, he was now acting as though nothing had happened. She didn't want to be the girl who was a mistake, a last resort. Even if she did love him, surely it would be more painful to stay with him and carry on the way they had done since Christmas?

She watched with vacant eyes as Sasuke took his jacket off in the room and pulled his long sleeved t-shirt over his head and went to find a dry one. Her mind set, she spoke.

"Sasuke, I think I should move out."

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_See you next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

It had been two weeks since Hinata had moved out, and there was only one word that even came close to describing how Sasuke felt.

Miserable.

The worst part was that he couldn't even justify it. Her leaving had meant he could get back to his normal life, how it was before he met her. He had no reason to feel like this and yet somehow her departure from his life had..._affected_ him. The fact that he couldn't even figure out why tormented him almost constantly. It wasn't just the physical side of things, it was something more...he..._missed_ her. And he hated it. He missed her cooking, the way she hummed sometimes, her blush, how she would ask him if he needed anything if she was going out, the way she used to smile at him... Hell, he even missed wanting her so badly it hurt.

His only escape was when he was beating someone to a bloody pulp at the club. But even then, when the fight was over he just wanted to punch something else. He had tried everything to try to get rid of the feeling. One night he had even got drunk and brought three girls back to his apartment but afterwards he had felt even worse than before. He hadn't even looked at another woman since then. On more than one occasion his moodiness had got him into trouble at the host club, his rude remarks to customers earning him a cut in pay. Not that it made any difference to him.

The fact that the feeling wasn't going away only made it worse. He didn't _want_ to feel like this. Emotions made everything so much more complicated.

Currently he sat in the host club, brooding over his drink. Two extremely beautiful women were chatting to the host, Kenji, next to him but somehow he didn't even notice their looks. He tried to at least listen to the conversation, after all he was being paid for this, but after a few seconds he always returned to scowling at whatever was in front of him. Suddenly someone said his name and he was jolted back into the real world.

"What?" he asked quickly.

"I said the girls are leaving now," Kenji laughed. "What's wrong with you lately, Sasuke, it's like you're on another planet!" He straightened his slumped shoulders and stood with the others, putting his drink down on the table.

"Sorry," he muttered, glancing at the two women. The smaller, brown haired one looked up at him with large, hopeful eyes while her black haired friend seemed rather taken with Kenji. "I just have a lot of things on my mind," he tried to reason, even though it was a lie. There was only one thing on his mind.

"Maybe we'll see you soon?" she asked him, smiling.

"Yeah," he replied, not really caring if he never saw her again. She smiled and nodded, clearly waiting for him to say something else. He didn't, and her friend started to pull on her arm, beckoning her to leave. They turned and walked out of the club, waving to himself and Kenji at the door.

"Geez, Sasuke, I thought for sure you would have at least got that brunette's number," Kenji joked.

"Didn't feel like it," he replied, finishing his drink.

"You know, you don't seem to be yourself lately," Kenji commented. Sasuke glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm fine," he said stoically.

"Well, I'm just saying, even _I've_ noticed you're hardly picking anyone up lately."

"I _said_ I'm _fine_," he snapped, striding to the bar and slamming his glass down on the counter. He ordered a few shots and downed two of them one after the other. What the hell did Kenji know anyway? Why could people just mind their own fucking business? He needed a cigarette. He usually only smoked when he was stressed but somehow over the past couple of weeks he had found himself going through two packets a day. He turned as he felt a slight tug on the sleeve of his jacket and cursed mentally as he saw who it was.

"Hi, Sasuke," Kazumi said, leaning closer to him and kissing him on the cheek. "It feels like forever since I've seen you!" Great. He didn't need this right now. He moved her hand from his arm and stood up from his bar stool to leave.

"Don't do that in here, Kazumi, we're not at my place," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. He hadn't seen her in weeks, and honestly, he couldn't care less.

"Well, that's what I was thinking..." she said, looking up at him seductively while she drew circles on the bar with her index finger. "I haven't seen you in so long...maybe we could go back to yours when you finish work?" How come he had never noticed how irritating her voice was before?

"Not tonight," he replied.

"What do you mean 'not tonight'?" she asked, sounding slightly shocked.

"I'm not in the mood," his voice cold and detached.

"Since when are you 'not in the mood'? You're always in the mood!" she screeched, sounding offended. He snapped. Why couldn't she get the fucking message?

"I said _no_!" he shouted, slamming his fist onto the bar. The bar fell silent as everyone turned to look at them. Kazumi stared up at him, her eyes wide in shock. It took her a second to recover.

"O-okay," she stammered, her confidence seriously knocked. Her eyes flickered away from his and she shrugged her coat around her body in a way that reminded him if Hinata. "I'll see you around," she whispered, walking quickly past him to the door. He downed the last shot before realising the rest of the club were still looking at him.

"Have you got a fucking problem?" he snapped. One of the other hosts began speaking loudly and soon a couple of others joined in, trying to distract the customers from him. Soon enough everyone was having a good time again and Mari grabbed his arm and dragged him into her small office.

"What the fuck was that about, Sasuke?"

He didn't respond, refusing to be stared down by a woman over a foot shorter than him. Her features softened. "Look, I know you're not yourself lately."

He started to object but she made a high-pitched noise that made him stop. "Let me finish, Sasuke. Over the last couple of weeks you've been rude to customers, not showing up on time and now this...so far I think I've been pretty damn lenient with you, don't you agree?" He looked away from her. Yeah, he was acting like an asshole lately...well, more than usual anyway.

"Now do you want to tell me what's happened to make you like this?" His chest felt tight as he tried to think of a way to explain it.

"No," he stated. What was there to tell? He felt empty and violent and there wasn't a single thing Mari could do about it. It wasn't like she could bring Hinata back. Mari sighed and held her hands up.

"Well, good, because it's not my problem." She put a hand on his arm. "Look, why don't you go home? Take the next few days off and try and sort yourself out, okay? Then you can come back better than ever."

He nodded and turned to leave, but she caught his arm again.

"I hope you sort everything out, Sasuke. I'm your boss but that doesn't mean I like to see my boys get themselves in a mess."

He nodded again and left the club for his apartment.

Maybe some time to sort his head out without the distraction of the host club would do him some good.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at the photo in his wallet. Honestly, he didn't know why he had kept it. He should have just given it to her with the others, but for some reason hadn't. It was the photograph of Hinata at New Year's, the one she didn't know had been taken. It was folded to fit in the pocket, so that only she was showing through the plastic window. He found himself wondering how many times he had already looked at it today, only to realise he'd lost count.

He yawned as his eyes slid over to the clock and saw the time. Sighing, he stood up and started towards his room, but paused as he put his hand on the door knob. Out of the corner of his eye he glanced as what had been Hinata's room. At first, when she had left, he had ignored the strange feeling of loneliness that gnawed at him. He hadn't tried to even talk to her because her absence shouldn't have affected him. But now...he missed her so much he could barely stand it. He shouldn't...but today he was feeling particularly shit, and that ache in his chest was only getting worse with each day.

Opening the door, he froze as her scent hit him, making him hard with need. He hadn't been in here since she had left, but then he never really went in before she had lived here anyway. He froze as he saw the wardrobe door hanging open, that red sweater of hers in a corner at the bottom of it. Brilliant. She must have left it behind and hadn't realised yet.

His heart skipped a beat as he realised this could mean he could see her. Who cared if his stupid pride had stopped him from contacting her? He had to see her. Taking his phone from his pocket, he found the number he needed.

* * *

Hinata walked from the train station to the bar for work. She checked the time to make sure she wouldn't be late. She nodded to herself as she saw her shift didn't start for half an hour and she was only ten minutes away from the club.

A laughing couple passed her, holding hands as the man turned the woman around to kiss her. She averted her eyes, her heart clenching at the sight. What did it feel like to be like that with someone? Recently she had been noticing all he couples around her a lot more than usual. Noticed the way they held hands, the way the laughed and joked, the way even a word from their partner could bring joy and happiness. It had never bothered her before, but now, when she saw them, it made her ache. It even made her a little bit jealous. She wondered what it would be like. Found herself imagining herself and a man whose face she couldn't see together, walking down the street without a care in the world. But she knew she wasn't going to find anyone to find out what it was like. She knew if she looked up at the imaginary man's face she knew exactly whose face it would be. There was only one person she wanted and she was trying to forget him.

Not that it was going well. Everything she did reminded her of him, from the meals she made to closing her eyes to sleep at night and thinking he was on the other side of the wall. She had been staying with Naruto and Sakura, as she didn't have enough money to get her own apartment straight away and in the hope that they would distract her from how she was feeling. It wasn't working. She felt as though she was merely...existing...since she had left. She didn't seem to enjoy anything she did, she just did it, because it was normal, a routine she had developed. She couldn't remember the last time she had even laughed. Well, she did, it had been with Sasuke in the hot springs.

She arrived at the club and went to the locker room to put her bag away. Opening the locker, she took off her coat and shoved it in the locker. She sighed and rummaged in her bag for the photo of them at New Year's. Her heart clenched as it always did when she saw him. She missed him so much. More than she should, but this was for the best. For both of them. She nodded to herself, putting the photo away and closing the locker. She just hoped the more she told herself that, the more she would start to believe it. Start to believe that she _didn't_ love him. Because it wasn't healthy to love an emotionless, womanizing god of a man when she would just get hurt. But was there really supposed to be this much pain when you left someone you had never even been in a relationship with?

Suddenly she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Fishing it out, she froze as she saw who was calling. For some reason she had left his phone number in her address book. Her hand shaking, she answered it.

"Hello?" she said, her voice trembling. Why on earth was he calling her?

"Hinata, it's Sasuke." God, she had forgotten how irresistible his voice was. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Why was he calling her?

"Did you need something?"

"You left something at the apartment, so I thought I should let you know." Her heart fell. Of course, it wasn't like _he_ missed _her_. Fighting back the tears that had suddenly welled in her eyes, she nodded before realising he couldn't see her.

"I can come by after work to pick it up if that's okay?" she said, hoping he wouldn't notice the disappointment in her voice.

"Okay. I'll see you later," he said stoically.

"Goodb-" Her heart fell even more as he hung up before she had even said goodbye.

* * *

Sasuke hung up the phone before he had chance to blurt out something stupid. Just hearing her voice for even a second had made his chest swell and sent a strange sensation to his stomach. He released the breath he suddenly realised he had been holding. No going back now. She was coming here. Was that the right thing to do? He wasn't sure, but how else was he meant to give her that jumper back? Yeah, the jumper. He would give her the jumper and she would leave. End of story. He needed a shower.

* * *

Hinata bit her lip. She really shouldn't be doing this and yet her feet seemed to have taken her here of their own accord. As soon as she had hung up the phone, she knew she shouldn't see him. It would just undo everything she had been trying to make herself believe for the past two weeks. Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched the numbers on the elevator rise. She should just go home. He could leave whatever she had forgotten at the apartment at work for her to collect and that way they wouldn't even have to see each other. She unzipped her coat, suddenly quite warm in the small space. The elevator seemed to take an eternity, and she started to fiddle with her sleeves in apprehension. So why ask her to come to the apartment? There had to be a reason, right? Did he actually want her see her as much as she wanted to see him? No. It wasn't like _he_ actually missed _her_. He just wanted her possessions out of his apartment. It made perfect sense. She was just reading too much into this. Before she could consider it further, the elevator doors opened, revealing the apartment.

Every time she saw him it was like the first time. It didn't matter how long it had been since she had seen him, whether it was hours, now weeks, he always had the same effect, but this time it felt like it had increased tenfold. He looked up and moved toward her slightly as she stepped out of the elevator. Her throat felt dry, and she couldn't think of anything to say. The look in his dark eyes made her feel useless and important all the same time and even though she tried to ignore it, her heart ached at how much she had missed him. How could she have fooled herself into thinking she had begun to forget what he made her feel? How could she have forgotten the emotions bubbling inside her, threatening to spill over? No, she told herself firmly. She had learned to control her over –active emotions long ago.

"Hinata."

Sasuke paused at the sight of her. She was as beautiful as ever, her cheeks pink from the cold outside. Her wide eyes regarded him with curiosity, a hand at her chest. Just the sight of her made him feel like smiling. His heart beat faster and he struggled to think of something to say. He just wanted to touch her, feel her skin, her lips...

Hinata watched as he made a frustrated sound and rubbed his eyes, his brow furrowed. He seemed very...distracted for some reason. He picked up the jumper from the coffee table and handed it to her. She smiled widely as she remembered trying to find the jumper the other day, but had ended up thinking she had lost it. The small sense of happiness passed far too quickly though, as she looked back up at him. She was supposed to leave now, right? Just the thought of it brought tears to her eyes. Silence passed between them as he looked at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck and she tried to think of a logical reason to stay.

"Did you need something else?" Hinata asked, breaking the silence. _You._ He didn't dare say it. He tried to clear his head of his desire and concentrated on remembering what was supposed to happen next. She was supposed to leave. But what he wouldn't give for her to stay.

"No," he said shortly, looking away from her beautiful face to the floor.

The statement sent stabs of pain through Hinata's chest. How could he be so cold? So uncaring? But then even when she met him she was like that. And that's how she felt. Like they were two strangers. The thought was enough to push her over the edge. Before she could stop herself, there were tears spilling out and rolling down her face, a hand over her aching heart as she struggled to breathe.

"I missed you," she gasped, not caring that she was supposed to be leaving. She didn't care that she should leave again. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe he didn't feel the same way, but she just wanted the pain to go away. She just wanted him.

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as she whispered words he didn't even know he longed to hear. Words he had been forcing back down his throat, afraid of what she might say in return. He looked back up at her. God, he couldn't get over how beautiful she looked, even with tears cascading down her rosy cheeks. How had he managed to survive without her? Without thinking, he was by her side in two steps, where he put his hand behind her neck and pressed his lips to hers. He pulled away after a couple of seconds and her gaze met with his, setting his body on fire with need. Emotions flared within him, and he couldn't quite believe how such a simple action could heal away all the agony he had felt for the last two weeks. He couldn't resist her for another instant.

Hinata moaned at the feel of his lips, at the feel of his tongue sweeping passionately against hers. Her bag dropped to the floor with a thump as he gathered her into his arms. The scent of him made her dizzy and somehow it felt like the rest of the world didn't exist. The muscles in his arms bunched under her palms as his own hand settled on the small of her back, the other on her cheek, his kiss fierce and passionate. God, his lips...

Sasuke held her even tighter as he felt Hinata sag into his arms. Somehow he had forgotten how good it felt to kiss her. Even though her cheeks were wet with tears, the memory of her lips seemed nothing in comparison to the real thing. He sucked gently at her bottom lip, tasting and teasing as he slid his tongue inside her mouth. She tasted of heaven and he craved more. Sasuke growled as she moaned into the kiss, pushing her coat off her shoulder and letting it fall to the floor in a heap before pulling her up and pinning her to the wall behind her, hitching up her thighs so she could wrap her legs around his hips.

Hinata's hands knotted in his hair as his tongue explored her mouth skilfully. She moaned again as his hands slid under her shirt, there was just something so…_right_ about his hands on her skin. Sasuke broke away, leaving her gasping for air, only to move his lips to her neck, making her breath even more erratic. She struggled to form even one coherent thought as he quite literally kissed the sense out of her. He moved back to her lips, kissing her hungrily. She couldn't imagine anything in the world feeling better. She _knew_ nothing could ever compete.

"Stay with me tonight," he growled huskily next to her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"Kiss me again," she whispered, an instant before he claimed her lips once more.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt dizzy as he obliged her request. This kiss wasn't fierce like the others he had given her. This kiss was slow and gentle, tender and caring.

And it felt incredible, made her head spin.

Her body ached for his touch, longed to feel his skin against hers. As if reading her thoughts, he slipped a hand under her shirt again to caress her, the other squeezing her thigh. She moaned at the hard bulge in his pants pressed against her core, at his hot breath on her neck. She couldn't remember when she had stopped crying.

He pulled back and his dark gaze met hers. He didn't speak but the look in his eyes said it all.

_I need you._

Sasuke's chest felt tight as he looked at her. He saw the innocence in those pale eyes, but he also saw the lust, the curiosity. His gaze flickered back to her lips before travelling down her body. God, he wanted her with a need so fierce it bordered on downright desperate. Aching to kiss her, he took possession of her mouth all over again.

Hinata tried to think as his lips found hers once more. Closing her eyes, she cupped his face with her hands as he showed her a pleasure she never thought possible from such simple contact. His hand inched up her thigh, the other squeezing the flesh of her hip. She knew where this was going to end up.

There was a small part of her that was begging her to make him stop, saying she would only get hurt if they carried on. This was _Sasuke_. He used women and tossed them aside when he was done. But the other part of her wanted this. She shivered as she remembered his words. _"Stay with me tonight."_ She wondered how it would feel to be with someone like this, to give yourself to them completely. After being apart from him for so long, she just wanted to feel close to him. Feel like she mattered. This was everything she had been longing for, it just felt so _right_ in his strong arms and for a moment she could pretend that he had missed her too…

"Hinata," he growled against her neck, his voice sending quivers through her body. That did it. The way her name sounded on his lips…his voice, so deep and smooth, so full of need and promises of passion and pleasure, like velvet across her skin.

"Make love to me, Sasuke," she breathed.

Sasuke pulled away from her neck to look at her, a slightly shocked, if not puzzled expression on his handsome features.

"You wouldn't mind?" Funny how when _she_ said it, the concept didn't sound so ridiculous. She shook her head shyly, her gaze flickering away from his. He bit his lip and sucked in a breath sharply. The thought of what she was offering sent a jolt through his body, making him even harder, if that was possible.

Hinata moaned as Sasuke pulled her into a deep kiss, his arms possessive and strong. She gasped as he lifted her away from the wall and carried her towards his bedroom, supporting all of her weight with ease. He placed her skilfully onto the bed before pulling away and standing at the foot of it. Hinata bit her lip as he pulled the long sleeve black t-shirt he was wearing over his head and discarded it, leaving him in just those black jeans riding low on his hips. Her heart fluttered at the sight. Good grief, she had almost forgotten how good he looked without a shirt. He crawled up the bed to her, forcing her to lie back. Her heart beat faster as he looked down at her, his hands either side of her head. Was this the right choice? He lowered himself down to kiss her softly and she knew it was. No matter what happened afterwards, she knew she wouldn't regret this. She sighed at the weight of his hips resting between her legs as he moved to kiss her neck again, his chest smooth and warm under her fingertips.

Sasuke couldn't get enough of her, drinking in her scent, the taste of her body, its flawless curves and soft skin. Damn, he needed to get her out of those clothes. He rolled so that she was straddling his waist. He proceeded to unbutton the shirt she was wearing, before pushing it off her shoulders. She blushed and moved to cover herself up but he stopped her, taking her wrists in his hands.

"Don't," he breathed, taking in the perfection of her body. The pale pink bra she was wearing was fairly simple, with a trim of lace along the top of it and on the straps. It suited her. Pretty enough, but not too fussy. He released her wrists and moved to feel the silken skin of her body, transfixed.

Hinata sighed as he touched her. What was it about his slightest touch that left trails of fire dancing along her skin? His hands were so warm, caressing her every curve. He sat up so he could kiss her, his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closer to him. She ran her hand up his arm and over his shoulder and back, delighting in the feel of his smooth skin and toned muscles. She didn't even notice when he reached for the clasp of her bra and unfastened it. Or when he pulled the straps off her shoulders and threw it to the floor.

Hinata gasped as he took one of her nipples into his mouth while he gently squeezed the other with the hand that wasn't pressed against her back. Sasuke growled at the taste and feel of her. She was perfect, just perfect. He moved his right hand to the zip on her skirt, easing it open. He rolled them back over so that she was on her back and he lay to the side of her, propped up on one elbow. He pulled the skirt down, and she kicked her shoes off and lifted her hips so that he could slide it down her legs. Throwing it to the floor with the rest of her clothes, he looked back up at her.

She was a vision of utter perfection, all milky pale skin and hourglass curves and ebony hair fanned out around her angelic features, the red sheets making her look like some kind of goddess. Sasuke released the breath he realised he had been holding. His eyes raked appreciatively over her as he ran a hand all the way up her body, caressing every curve as he found himself wishing his jeans were a couple of sizes bigger, the denim biting fiercely into his erection.

Hinata lay motionless as Sasuke looked at her, heart hammering in her chest. His eyes travelled along her body until they met with hers again. She held her breath, afraid he didn't like what he saw. Her doubts scattered as he pulled her lips towards his, and kissed her with such a passion she found herself gasping for breath when he broke away.

His hand travelled down her body as he kissed her neck and breasts, his touch setting her body on fire with need. She ached for his touch, for him to do whatever the hell he wanted with her.

Sasuke looked up at Hinata as he slipped a hand underneath the soft silk panties she was wearing to touch her. She gasped in pleasure as he gently stroked her most intimate place. It was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. He needed to hear more. Fighting back a groan, he took his hand away so he could slide the underwear down her smooth legs and discard them, leaving her fully bare before him. He shifted his weight and he suddenly remembered, to his frustration, he still had those jeans on.

Hinata bit her lips as she watched Sasuke stand and undo the button of his jeans. She blushed at the almost feral look in his eyes as he unzipped them and pushed them down. Her eyes widened as she saw that he wasn't wearing any underwear. And he was...well, big. How was he even going to fit inside her? Not wanting to think about it, she took the opportunity to pull the covers up over her, suddenly becoming aware she was naked. When had that happened? Really, Sasuke's ability to make her unaware of even the simplest thing scared her. She thought back to the night they had met. Even then it had happened, when she hadn't noticed he was carrying a coat.

She snapped back to reality from her thoughts as she felt Sasuke slide under the covers with her.

"You're really sure about this?" he asked, his expression serious. Hinata was honestly surprised he would even think to double-check when it was so obvious he wanted her. He pulled her closer. She couldn't stop now, right? Not when he looked at her with those dark eyes, when her skin tingled at his touch like this. How could she deny him when she loved him so? It didn't make any sense for her to love him, but when he held her like this...she just didn't care. She took a deep breath and nodded, to be rewarded with that dazzling smile she hadn't seen since their snowball fight in the hot springs. Her heart did flips as he pulled her closer and kissed her, the feel of his skin against hers sending her mind reeling.

"You won't regret this," Sasuke breathed against her neck. He would make sure of it. He had waited too long to feel her like this, and he fully intended to do everything he could to make sure she would never forget his touch. She wouldn't be able to say he was lacking in any way when tonight was over.

Hinata felt heat rising to her cheeks as Sasuke parted her legs and placed himself between them, slowly kissing his way down her body, sending shivers and chills all over her yet making her hot at the same time. She felt somewhat embarrassed...no, that wasn't the word she needed, but she couldn't conjure the right one while he was doing this. She wasn't embarrassed, rather it just felt incredibly strange to have someone touching her like this, to be this bare in front of someone, and not just in the physical sense.

Sasuke couldn't think straight as he tasted Hinata's skin. If this was anyone else he'd already be inside her but he hadn't waited so long for this to be over quickly. He still couldn't believe this was actually happening. After all this time, he finally had her. She was _his_. He reached the centre of her body and he took a moment to just look at her. He looked back up at her and their eyes met.

Hinata couldn't describe the look in Sasuke's eyes as he looked up at her. Hungry, and at the same time somewhat triumphant and tender. He looked back down at her body and she wondered briefly what he would do next. She gasped and arched her back as he gently licked and sucked at her entrance, the unexpected sensation foreign to her but _definitely_ not unpleasant. Crying out as he sank one of those long fingers inside her, she gripped the sheets around her tightly.

Sasuke bit his lip at the feel of her. If she felt like this around just one finger what would it be like when he was fully inside her? She was so wet for him, so hot and tight. He moved back up her body so he could kiss her, the moans he was causing as he pleasured her driving him insane as her breathing quickened.

"Sasuke,I...I think I..." she gasped breathlessly, her breathing getting shorter and shorter as her body trembled.

"I know," he murmured against her neck, gently kissing it. He could feel she was close. God she was so wet. "Come for me, Hinata."

Sure enough, a few moments later, she cried out, her nails digging into his back. Sasuke shuddered as he felt her orgasm mount. Needing to be inside her, he drove himself deep inside her with one full, hard thrust.

Hinata hissed in pleasure as Sasuke filled her up. There was no pain like she expected, rather the hardness and thickness of him only increased her pleasure until she thought she would die from it. Or maybe there was pain, but at this point she didn't think she could tell the difference.

Waiting for her was the hardest thing Sasuke had ever had to do, but he didn't dare move yet. Her body was still stretching to accommodate him, and he needed time to adjust too. She was unlike anything he'd ever felt. He didn't know if it was because she was a virgin, if it was just because he wanted her so damn much or something else entirely, but he had to stop himself coming right there and then. But he'd rather die than finish before her.

Eventually the intense pleasure faded and Hinata could think again. Breathless, she looked up at Sasuke, who was leaning on his forearms which were either side of her head. His eyes roamed her face, one of his wrists bending slightly so he could brush some of her hair away. Their gazes meeting, he leaned down to kiss her. Hinata's heart didn't seem to be slowing down. Who knew that sex could feel this way? She should have given into him a long time ago. She gasped and her entire body shivered as he pulled his hips away before slowly pushing back inside her. As he repeated the action he moved his right hand to the side to lace his fingers with hers, still kissing her.

Sasuke couldn't breathe properly as he moved his hips against hers. Never in his wildest dreams, and he'd had a few, did he even dare to imagine she would feel this way. There was truly nothing better in this world than the sight of her like this, underneath him, the sound of her soft gasps and moans in his ear, the feel of her skin against his as he took her. He'd slept with women whose names he couldn't even remember, had sex more times than he could even begin to count, but there was something new about this. Something exhilarating and fresh. This wasn't just sex, there was something more to it, an ache in his chest, a desire to please her at any cost. He was making love to her, and for the first time he understood the difference. He didn't care about his own pleasure; he only wanted hers. Wanted to hear her scream his name as she came for him and let the world know that she was _his_.

Hinata couldn't believe how good he felt inside her. A connection, so much more than just the physical, seared her to her very soul. He moved to hold her against him, kissing her neck as he wrapped his arms around her. How she wished she could stay like this, in this moment, forever. She could feel herself slipping, his long, lush strokes sending her over the edge. Crying out, she held him even tighter against her as the most intense pleasure swept over her.

The sensation of Hinata's orgasm around him was almost too much to bear for Sasuke. Seeing her like this, it only made him want her more. He didn't want to finish yet, wanted to keep her up all night if he had to, but the feeling of her inner muscles squeezing around him gave him no choice as he released himself inside her. It was the most incredible thing he'd ever felt. How had he managed to survive without her he would never know. Trying to get his breath back, he rolled off her to lie on his back. He looked across at her, her cheeks and lips pink from their passion, her breaths short and sharp. He moved to his side and kissed her, needing to taste those lips before lying back down.

When he had caught his breath, he looked over at the clock. How had so much time passed when it barely felt like minutes since she had arrived? He looked down, only to find himself still hard and wanting more. Rolling over, his heart softened as he saw Hinata asleep on her side. God, she looked so perfect. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her softly. He felt elated, more satisfied than he had ever been, and yet somehow he felt his heart sinking at the same time.

What happened next?

* * *

Hinata woke the next morning feeling more relaxed than she had in weeks. Something heavy was draped over her, and she rolled onto her back to see what it was.

Sasuke.

Her chest tightened as she saw him, deep in slumber. He muttered something she couldn't make out as she moved his arm off her so she could sit up. She put a hand to her forehead.

God, what had they done?

Sliding out from the covers, she went to the bathroom and splashed some water onto her face to make sure this wasn't a dream. It was real. Her heart clenched.

Hinata looked up at herself in the mirror before looking back at Sasuke, who was now lying on his front, half his face buried in the pillow. Her heart clenched. She didn't regret sleeping with him, but what would happen now? She bit her lip as she realised she already knew but didn't want to admit it.

This was never going to work. Men like him just didn't exist in her world. She didn't think herself ugly or anything, she was fairly average, maybe even pretty in her eyes, but Sasuke was on a whole other level. And as far as she could tell he'd never had a relationship. Honestly, she didn't think she'd survive if he cheated on her. _When_ he cheated on her. He didn't have the same rules as other people. Surely it would be better to save herself the pain? Better to suffer the ache of a love that could have been than to have a relationship that would destroy her. He didn't love her, and allowing herself to fall any deeper in love with him would be practically masochistic. But surely forcing herself to leave would be equally painful?

Her heart breaking, she went to the side of the bed and sat next to him. She brushed a piece of his hair had fallen over his face away, so she could see him properly. He looked so calm, such a contrast to when he was conscious, when he seemed to have a slight scowl etched onto his features at all times. But now there was no mask to hide behind. And he looked so perfect it was almost surreal.

This was never going to work.

* * *

Sasuke woke the next morning feeling slightly disorientated. He rubbed at his eyes. What had happened last night? That scent in his sheets…Hinata. His chest swelled at the memory. What he wouldn't give to just spend the day in bed with her. Reaching across the bed, he waited for his hand to come into contact with her skin. It didn't.

Frowning, his eyes snapped open and he propped himself up on his elbows. She wasn't there. He frowned even more. Maybe she was in the bathroom? He rolled over onto his back, propped up on his elbows again to look. Nobody in there. Kitchen? He rolled out of bed and wrapped a sheet around his waist to go and check, only to be greeted by an empty apartment. Now he was getting worried. Where the hell was she?

He went back to his bedroom. Her clothes weren't on the floor where they had ended up last night. Had he imagined the whole thing? It wouldn't be the first time…

But he didn't just imagine her scent on his sheets. His eyes quickly scanned the room again, this time picking up a small envelope on his bed side cabinet. He practically leapt across the bed to it, snatching it up and tearing it open, not even bothering to check if his name was on it. Really, who else would it be for?

He skimmed over it, his heart sinking more and more with each line, like the world was crumbling down around him. Shit. Fuck. He threw the letter down on the bed, darting across the room to his wardrobe to pull out his biking leathers.

She couldn't have left him.

Not when he had only just got her back.

He wouldn't let her.

He pulled on his leather pants and jacket, not bothering with anything else and practically ran to the elevator, her words playing over and over in his head. He stepped inside.

_Dear Sasuke,_

_I don't regret last night but we both know this can never work._

The numbers on the elevator seemed to take and eternity. He glared at them impatiently. Every second was vital. He _had_ to get to her. Finally, he reached the ground floor and he ran out, across the foyer to the car park stairs, taking them two at a time.

_We are from different worlds._

He ran to his bike, taking his helmet out of the compartment under the seat and got on as he fastened it. Starting the engine, he flew out onto the street.

_Maybe in the future, we can be friends again, but right now I can't see you._

Naruto and Sakura's place. She would be there, he was certain of it. That was where she had been staying when she had moved out. He sped through the streets, only vaguely aware of what was happening on the road, his thoughts elsewhere.

_Please don't come after me_. _I'm sure you will be fine without me._

How could he not go after her? He was anything but fine. He cursed as he hit a changing set of traffic lights at a junction. He was so _close_. He could make it. Revving the engine, he sped up to get across the junction. He didn't see the woman crossing the road until it was almost too late. Swerving the bike out of the way, he barely missed her. Before he could recover, out of nowhere, a car sped towards him, breaks screeching.

_I need some time to fall out of love with you._

Sasuke couldn't breathe as pain assailed him. He opened his eyes to find he had somehow come off his bike, which was a good twenty feet away. Clutching his chest, he staggered to his feet. His helmet stifling him, he threw it off. He took a couple of steps only to fall to his knees. Now he could take one hell of a beating, but this…it was on a whole new level.

Every part of his body hurt, but it didn't matter. He had to get to her. He fell forward from his knees to the ground and rolled onto his back, seeing the sky. He tasted blood.

"Hinata," he breathed, his voice cracked and barely audible.

He couldn't breathe. Everything sounded muffled and looked blurred but somehow he still managed to hear the screams, the panic. The pain wasn't easing, if anything it was getting worse. He faintly heard somebody asking for a mobile phone before the world went dark.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_Oh God! Will Sasuke survive? Just when the couple have realised how much they need each other, a disaster like this! D: How will Hinata react?_

_See you next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

Hinata struggled to breathe properly as she left the apartment building. She could feel tears threatening to spill over but she refused to let them while she wasn't alone. She looked back up at his window at the top of the building one last time. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she turned and headed for the train station.

Keeping herself together until she got back to Naruto and Sakura's apartment was one of the hardest things Hinata had ever had to do. Almost as hard as taking that step out of Sasuke's apartment. Almost.

Hinata closed the door to the apartment, her hand remaining on the latch for a few seconds before she rested her back against it. She put a hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut as the first tear rolled down her cheek. She choked back a sob.

How could it hurt so much?

It was unbearable. _It would have hurt more if you had let it go any further._ Her knees gave way underneath her as her back slid down the door. Unable to hold her tears back any longer, she broke down, her shoulders shaking almost uncontrollably as she sobbed, the pain in her heart growing and growing until it was a physical throbbing ache in her chest.

_This is for the best_, she told herself.

But that in no way meant that it didn't hurt like hell.

Thank God Naruto and Sakura were both at work. She didn't want them to see her like this. Yet at the same time, she wanted them to hold her, tell her everything would be okay. The empty, silent apartment only made her sobs seem louder, made her feel more alone. But they wouldn't understand. They had been together for years, and only had eyes for each other. They had never been forced apart like this. No, she and Sasuke hadn't been forced apart. This was _her_ choice. It was better for both of them this way. So why did she feel like a piece of her heart had been ripped out?

_It's only a man. You'll get over him._

_No I won't._

She wiped at her eyes, but it didn't make any difference. If only she could stop _crying_. She jumped as her phone rang in her pocket, breaking the silence in the room. It seemed to jolt her back to reality. Taking a deep breath and clearing her throat in an effort to make it less obvious she had been crying, she fished it out of her pocket. She frowned as she didn't recognise the number.

"Hello?" She wiped at her eyes again, tears already running down her cheeks.

"Hello, is this Hinata Hyuuga?" the unfamiliar voice said on the other end of the line.

"Yes," she replied, sniffing. Who was this?

"This is Doctor Komatsu from Tokyo University Hospital, I'm afraid there's been an incident involving Sasuke Uchiha."

Hinata couldn't breathe, not from crying but now for an entirely different reason. An incident? What kind of incident? How? When? Was he okay? God, _please_ let him be okay...

"Miss Hyuuga, are you still there?" The question jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Y-yes," she replied, fighting to hold back more tears. Oh God, what if he was...she couldn't even think it. She honestly didn't know how she would live knowing that he... if he was dead she would have been told by now, right? He _couldn't_ be dead.

"He was involved in a road accident. Knocked off his bike. I'm afraid the injuries he sustained were very serious," the doctor continued.

_No!_ Hinata felt sick. Her head spun. He couldn't be _dead_. The room was getting smaller and smaller, crashing down around her. Was this what it felt like to go into shock? Oh God he couldn't be dead. This had to be some kind of dream. She would wake up and she would be lying in bed with Sasuke, she never would have left and everything would be fine, because even though he didn't love her, she could at least pretend...

"He is in surgery right now, and we'd like you to come down to the hospital."

Surgery? Surgery meant that he was still alive, right? At least for now. For a moment she could breathe again. Of course he could pull through. He could survive anything. A man like Sasuke wouldn't die just because he wrecked on his bike. He was a fighter, in more ways than one. No, now she was getting her hopes too high. She wouldn't dare to hope like that until she saw he was okay with her own eyes.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

Hinata sat in the corridor on a chair next to the doors of the operating theatre Sasuke was in. Her dried tears had left streaks on her face as she stared at the doors, her eyes puffy. She was quite sure she looked terrible but she didn't want to go to the bathroom to wash her face in case something happened in the theatre. How long was this supposed to take? She had been waiting outside the room for almost an hour and she had no idea how long he had been here before the hospital called her. She hadn't even been able to see him through the small windows in the door because of the crowd of surgeons around him.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to steady her still somewhat shaky breathing, she brought her feet up to the chair and rested her forehead on her knees. Her chest ached with anxiety. This was torture.

"Miss Hyuuga?" Hinata looked up sharply as she heard her name. There was a nurse leaning half out of the door of the operating theatre. Hinata's heart hammered in her chest and time seemed to slow down as she waited for the nurse to tell her the worst.

"If you'd like to come in now, Miss Hyuuga," she said, gesturing for Hinata to follow her as she went back into the room. Her heart in her throat, Hinata got up and gently pushed open the door, afraid of what she might see on the other side.

She heard it first, before anything else. The faint beep of a heart monitor. Did she dare to hope...?

Raising her gaze from the ground, she looked across the room. There he was, unconscious on a bed, the nurse fiddling with a machine at his side, the other surgeons gone. He still wore his biking leathers and boots, except the jacket had been cut away, presumably so they could operate on him without causing further trauma to his body, and now lay in pieces on the floor around the bed. She rushed across the room to his side, her heart doing flips. Reaching to touch him, she stopped as his condition fully sank in. The nurse started speaking.

"He was in a bad way when he got here. Broken collarbone, three broken ribs, six fractured ones, punctured lung, internal bleeding, head trauma and a few more minor injuries...but we've managed to stitch him back together." Hinata nodded absentmindedly as she looked at the various patches on his chest, wires trailing to machines and drips with needles. The nurse fixed a large dressing to Sasuke's right side, just under his ribcage before Hinata could see the damage. "He's on life support right now, just to be on the safe side with that lung." So that's what that tube down his throat was. "He should be breathing by himself in a few days with no problems." She then moved to another trolley to get some cotton wool balls coated in disinfectant before cleaning the dried trickles of blood from Sasuke's temple and lips.

Hinata's heart was lodged in her throat, tears threatening to spill over her eyes even when she thought she had none left. Her hand shaking, she reached to touch the side of his face, a sudden blip from the heart monitor making her jump as she touched him. For a split second she was worried, but the beeps returned to a steady rhythm and the nurse didn't seem fazed, writing notes on a clipboard. Maybe she had imagined it. She turned her attention back to the man lying unconscious in the bed.

Seeing him like this made her heart break. This wasn't her Sasuke. Sasuke was strong and fierce, independent and uncompromising, and yet here he was, unconscious and relying on a wheezing machine to breathe for him. She bit her lip as a tear escaped her eye, and she fought to keep the rest back, but it was damn near impossible as guilt washed over her.

All of this was _her_ fault! If she hadn't left, he wouldn't have been on his bike, the car wouldn't have hit him and he wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed right now.

He wouldn't have nearly _died_.

"Physically, he has quite a history of injuries, broken bones and such, so he should be used to the healing process. Even so, we'll be keeping him unconscious for a couple of days to give him a head start," the nurse told her, distracting her from her thoughts. She nodded, taking her hand away from his brow and holding onto his hand with both of hers.

"Would you mind waiting outside while we take him to a private room? Someone will come and show you where he is when we're done." Hinata nodded, not trusting herself to speak without bursting into tears.

Watching as the nurse and a couple of other nurses prepared to move Sasuke and the various machines next to him, Hinata left the room and took a seat again. She didn't know how long she sat there, staring at the floor, letting the shock of what happened sink in, but suddenly she felt someone shake her shoulder slightly. Blinking, she looked to see a middle-aged, friendly-looking nurse smiling down at her.

"You are Miss Hyuuga, yes?" she asked, a slight English accent coming through in her Japanese. Hinata nodded, standing up at the same time. The nurse set off walking and Hinata followed, hearing her chatter on but not really listening.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing? You had better wash those tears off before your young man sees you have been crying. He would not want you upset now, would he? Do not worry he'll be just fine in a couple of weeks, nearly back to normal, I have seen people recover from injuries much worse than his, they really sound a lot worse than they are, because of how fast we got him here..."

Hinata knew the nurse was only trying to comfort her, but really, it wasn't helping in the slightest. Sasuke was lying in a hospital because of her. She would only let herself believe he would be fine until she could look into those dark eyes with her own and hear his voice again.

The nurse opened the door for her, letting her step in as another nurse completed his checks on the machines. "You can stay here until visiting hours are over, or as long as other priorities allow, there's a canteen downstairs and this button here is for emergencies, a nurse will come right away," the English nurse said, pointing to a large button on the wall next to the bed. Hinata nodded as the male nurse left the room and the English woman smiled again before closing the door behind her.

Hinata took a deep breath, walking to Sasuke's side. He hadn't moved a muscle, his handsome features completely expressionless. His leather pants were now folded up on a chair, along with the pieces of his jacket and his wallet and keys, his boots on the floor next to it. There was also a clear plastic bag containing what looked like what was left of his phone. She pulled up a chair next to the bed and he turned her attention back to Sasuke. They had pulled the bedding up to just under his navel, so as not to disturb the many patches and dressing on his chest. There were bandages around his right wrist and also wrapped around his shoulders, looking almost like a harness, and as if they would cross over in a figure of eight at his back. She assumed they were to help his collarbone. His normally healthy-looking, and if anything, _slightly_ pale skin now held a sickly cast to it that made her think if she hadn't been able to hear his heartbeat on the monitor she would have begun to fear the worst. There was a light sheen of cold sweat on his brow, strands of his black hair plastered to it. She carefully brushed them out of the way with her fingers, his body unresponsive.

She fought back tears again. She felt terrible. Guilty and agonized.

Practically all her life she had shuffled along, expecting to be a disappointment to everyone, never really aspiring to anything. She didn't really live; she had just...existed...until she met Sasuke. Yes, she had friends, like Naruto and Sakura, who she had known nearly all her life, but they didn't make her feel like Sasuke did. He made her feel _alive_, like a person, like she was worth something.

And last night, when he had held her in his arms, she had never felt more complete. But she wasn't living in a dream world.

This was reality and it hurt.

So she had left, and this was the result. Did she have to be punished for everything? She had just wanted to feel loved for a little while, was that so wrong?

The first tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another. She wiped them away angrily.

"No!" she said aloud, firmly. Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She'd done more than enough crying for one day. She wasn't a child anymore. Crying wasn't going to solve anything. It wouldn't make her feel any less guilty and it certainly wouldn't help Sasuke get better.

Sniffing, she distracted herself with assessing the damage to Sasuke's clothes. She picked up a piece of the jacket first, which was on top of the pile. The leather of the right shoulder and arm were completely shredded, layers of the stuff torn away by asphalt. God only knows what it would have done to his skin had he not been wearing it. She shuddered at the thought and looked at the rest of the jacket, piecing it together in her head. It looked like it had been cut down the back in the middle, and then down each sleeve from the neck to wrist to allow it to be pulled from underneath him. She glanced at the dressing on the right side of Sasuke's stomach, just under his ribcage. Resisting the urge to peel a corner up and peek underneath it to see the damage, she looked at the rest of his body. It looked like the first signs of large bruises were forming on most of his side, peeking out from under the dressing there and spreading up his chest and on his shoulder.

Sighing, she put the jacket down and inspected the pants. They didn't seem nearly as bad. Yes, they were still worn away by the road in places like the sleeve of the jacket, but he could probably even wear them again. The boots, somehow, looked exactly the same as they always had, somehow completely unscathed. They must have been expensive, well-made, the kind of boots that outlive their owner. Her heart skipped a beat as the thought triggered another and sent her back into self-loathing. The boots could have easily outlived _two_ owners had Sasuke died today. She sat down next to him and took his hand in both of hers, resting her head on the bed, refusing to cry again.

She would never have forgiven herself had he died. Just the thought of it was enough to bring her to her knees. From what the nurses had said, it sounded like he had only just made it. Had he got here just a minute later... She couldn't even think about it without wanting to burst into tears. Had the hospital not called her and he had died...would she ever have found out? Would she have lived the rest of her life thinking he hadn't even cared about her? But he _did_ care, she realised. The nurses had told her where he had been brought from and it was a road on the way to Naruto and Sakura's apartment.

He'd come after her, even though she had told him not to.

She couldn't breathe for a second as her heart lodged itself in her throat and the reality of the statement sunk in. There was no way she could leave him again. If there was a chance he felt even a _fraction_ for her of what she felt for him...she would stay with him through anything, no matter what happened.

Suddenly a thought popped up in her head from nowhere. How had the hospital even known to call _her_? Surely there was someone else, of all the people he knew? She turned around to confirm what she thought. Sure enough, his phone was smashed nearly beyond recognition, so how did they get her phone number? Standing, she crossed the room to the chair with his belongings. She frowned. If his phone was smashed, where had her number come from? He clearly hadn't been conscious to tell them. The only other things there were his keys and wallet. Maybe there was an address section in his wallet? She picked it up and returned to her seat next to the bed, hoping she'd find the answer in it. She opened it and froze, shocked at what she saw there.

Inside the wallet, in the little plastic window she expected to be empty, there was a photograph. A photograph of a woman. A photograph of _her_. Her fingers trembling, she pulled the photograph out of the pocket to make sure she wasn't imagining things. She wasn't. It was folded in half, a small piece of paper with ripped edges sandwiched between the two halves. She looked at the paper first, which answered the question of how the hospital had known to call her, as it had her name and phone number written on it. She remembered writing the number down as part of a larger note, but it was Sasuke's hand that had written her name beneath it. When she had first moved in with him, she had written a note to him and stuck it to the fridge, explaining she would be out job-hunting for the day and had forgotten to give him her number in case he needed her for some reason. Never in her wildest dreams did she think he would have _kept_ it, at least in part. She unfolded the photograph next. It had been folded so that only she could be seen through the plastic window, but when flattened out the photo had Sasuke in it too. It had been taken at New Year's, she knew from what they were wearing, but she hadn't seen the photo before. It was a spontaneous snapshot, so she hadn't known it had been taken either. She was laughing, and Sasuke was looking at her. Suddenly she knew what Sakura had meant that night when she had said that she thought Sasuke was in love with her, just by looking at his eyes.

This time Hinata couldn't stop the tears that ran down her cheeks. Her heart in her throat, her shoulders shaking, she looked up at Sasuke. Just how long had this photo been in his wallet? Had he loved her all this time? Why hadn't he said anything? Had she known, she would have never even moved out in the first place. Even if he didn't _love_ her, this had to mean _something_, right?

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry," she sobbed. She rested her head on the mattress in front of her, gripping his hand, hoping that somehow, when he woke up, he would be able to forgive her.

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes, blinking blearily. The room was out of focus, but slowly came into view as the seconds passed. As they ticked by, he realised something else.

He couldn't breathe.

There was something choking him, lodged in his throat. Sitting bolt upright, ignoring the pain in his chest and the feeling of several things being ripped from his skin, he clawed at the tube until it finally came out of his throat. Coughing, he took deep mouthfuls of air, even though it sent sharp stabs of pain through his right side, as he tried to get his breath back. Eventually, when it felt like he was breathing normally, he noticed the pain in his body.

There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't aching like he'd just been trampled on by a herd of elephants. His right side in particular was throbbing intensely. Putting a hand to it, he felt material instead of skin, accompanied by another sharp twinge of pain. He looked around the unfamiliar room, a hand on his forehead, feeling nauseous. What the hell had he done now?

Suddenly a woman opened the door and froze in place, staring at him. Their gazes met for a good few seconds before she came to her senses and trotted towards him, pushing a button on the wall before attempting to shine a light in his eyes. He caught her wrists before she could.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his throat feeling incredibly dry and painful. She stared at him with wide eyes, but before she could speak, a man strode confidently into the room.

"Now, Mr. Uchiha, please release Nurse Nato, she's only doing her job," he said, already at the side of the bed and looking at a chart.

Nurse? Of course, the uniform. He let go of the woman's wrists and looked around the room quickly, this time noticing several monitors, one of which was flat lining. So that's what that damn beeping had been. Before he could do anything else, the female nurse turned his face towards her and shone that torch in his eyes while the man carried on speaking.

"...With what we gave him...should be unconscious for a least another day...must have very very high metabolism or something...maybe they didn't give him the right dose..." he muttered to himself. He flipped the chart shut and looked up to face Sasuke. "You may be slightly concussed, Mr. Uchiha. You're in Tokyo University Hospital. I'm Doctor Yamashita." Sasuke put a hand to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut as the nurse left him, satisfied with blinding him to check on a machine next to him.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to remember. What was his name again?

"You were involved in a road accident yesterday..." Sasuke stopped listening as he started to panic. What year was it? He couldn't even remember what he did for a living. Fuck. Shit. There were lots of women, right? And he was feeling pretty paranoid about something, but he couldn't remember what.

He was distracted when the door opened once again. His heart stopped as the plastic cup of water the woman was holding slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor. She ran to his side.

Suddenly he remembered everything. The panic of her leaving, the car's screeching brakes, the indescribable pain...but none of it mattered now. She was here, she'd come back to him and she tasted incredible, her lips so soft against his own as he pulled her closer.

The doctor cleared his throat. Loudly. He couldn't help but feel disappointed when Hinata's lips left his as she turned her head to look at the doctor. A blush coloured her cheeks as she looked back at Sasuke. "I'm sorry, I'm just so happy he's awake," she said quietly, embarrassed.

"That's quite understandable, Miss, but let's be getting on, shall we?" he said, tapping his clipboard. He looked at Sasuke. "Do you feel drowsy at all?" Surprisingly, Sasuke found that he wasn't. Well, maybe he was a little, but he didn't feel like he was going to fall unconscious again. He shook his head.

"How long have I been here?" he asked, aware of how time moved differently in hospitals.

"About one and a half day," the doctor said. "Miss Hyuuga here has hardly left your side," he continued, gesturing at her. She blushed even more. "Well, I'm sure you have a lot of questions so I'll give you a quick check over and then run you down on what happened."

* * *

Hinata watched from the other side of the room as the doctor did his checks and explained to Sasuke what injuries he had sustained. When he was done he went on to a list of things Sasuke should and shouldn't do while he was recovering. A lot of it was just common sense. They would be keeping Sasuke in the hospital for at least one week before letting him out. It would be another one to two weeks before he was starting to feel back to normal. Bed rest for the next few days before he was allowed to move about, and even then nothing too strenuous. Absolutely _no_ exercise or physical exertion in any form so he wouldn't risk damaging his lung or collarbone while they were healing. No swimming for the foreseeable future. Eat healthily, etcetera etcetera... Everything sounded pretty reasonable, except she knew that being cooped up in a hospital room not being able to move about or exercise would drive him insane. By this point the nurse had left and it looked like the doctor was nearly finished too.

Even so, it felt like an eternity before he left. When the door finally closed behind him, she rushed to Sasuke's side. Immediately he caught her arm and pulled her closer, capturing her lips with his own. His touch made her feel so safe and warm, his left hand on her cheek, the other still holding her arm. She felt tears starting to well up behind her closed eyes. Only hours ago she had thought she might never feel his touch again, feel his lips... She broke away to choke back a sob, turning away from him.

"What's wrong?" he said, turning her face back round to look at her. She kept her eyes away from his gaze before she answered.

"I thought I had lost you," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. Sasuke wiped it away with his thumb. Even crying, she looked so beautiful. She wasn't making any sense. If she didn't want to lose him, why had she left in the first place?

"Why did you leave?" More importantly, why had he followed her? Not wanting to think about it, he waited for her to answer. She looked up into his eyes this time for a second before looking away again.

"Because I'm in love with you," she replied simply, even quieter than before. "And I didn't want to hurt anymore." Sasuke frowned. Now she was making even less sense. He thought back to when he was reading her letter, which seemed like an eternity ago, even though it was less than a day.

"_I need some time to fall out of love with you..."_

"What do you mean?" She looked up at him, her eyes watery. She didn't speak at first, as if she was trying to decide what to say.

"It hurt too much to stay with you, to be with someone who didn't love me back." Sasuke's chest felt tight. What did he say to that? He couldn't deny it, but that wasn't her fault. Thinking about it, she was probably the closest he'd ever been to...but it wasn't love. Love didn't exist in his world. And someone like Hinata didn't belong in it. He should just tell her to leave, as she clearly hadn't had a problem with it earlier.

"I've never loved anyone, Hinata," he said. "I don't think I can."

"That's not true. You loved your family," she replied, holding his hand with her own. The memory of them stabbed at his chest. "Otherwise you wouldn't keep that photograph of them."

Sasuke looked away from her and withdrew his hand from hers. His gaze became distant and cold and Hinata immediately regretted bringing up his family. But she had to, to make him see that he didn't have to be alone anymore, if he didn't want to be.

"You keep yourself too alone, Sasuke," she continued, putting her hand to his cheek and turning his dead to look at him. Still he didn't look at her. "Maybe, if you could just let someone in, just one person, I know you could get over your past. You could love again."

"And who would you have that person be? _You_?" He gave a hollow, sarcastic laugh. "We are too different and you could never understand." Hinata nodded. Just when she thought she might reach him, he was taking steps backwards, getting colder and more defensive with each second.

"You're right, I probably wouldn't understand. But just because my brother didn't kill my family that doesn't mean I haven't felt loss. There are people who've had worse lives than me, but I haven't had the best and I'm not naive. Just because you've closed yourself off to everything but lust and anger it doesn't mean you can't feel anything else. And if it were true then I don't think you would have come after me."

"Why do you _want_ to understand? What if I _want_ to be alone?" It would be better that way. People didn't belong near him, they just got hurt. After his family had died he'd become cold, built up walls and defences so no one could ever get close to him again.

"Because sometimes I see glimpses of the man you could be...of what we could have...I don't want to go back to being without you, Sasuke. I left because I was scared, but when I thought you might die...Sasuke, I couldn't face living an eternity without you."

Hinata waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn't. He just kept staring at the blanket on the bed. His eyes looked so full of hate, of turmoil.

"Sasuke, if you want me to go, I'll leave and you'll never hear from me again, but if you tell me to stay..."

Still he didn't look at her. Hinata's heart was slowly filling with grief as she realised he wasn't going to tell her to stay. He'd nearly died because of her and now he never wanted to see her again. She could hear her heartbeat in her head. _He's not going to say it..._ All she wanted to do was burst into tears but if this was the last time she would see him, she didn't want his last memory of her to be a crying, weak little girl. She stood up slowly, so as not to fall down to the floor and break down crying.

"Okay," she whispered, her heart breaking. _This is your own fault anyway._ She turned around, a hand to her mouth as she choked back a sob. She took a step away, away from the man she would give anything for, and it was even harder than last time.

_I want to die._

"Don't go."

Hinata froze. Had she imagined it? She turned her head to look at him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down towards him. Their lips met and Hinata's heart soared. She couldn't hold back the tears that ran down her face now, but they were from an entirely different emotion as he kissed her hungrily. That he had admitted that he _may_ have feelings for her, just by those two words...she knew how difficult it must have been for him and it made her want to stay with him even more.

Sasuke couldn't think straight. There were too many thoughts in his head and Hinata's lips were too sweet. He didn't know if he loved her but he damn sure didn't want her to leave. He should have let her go, but he couldn't. _You'll only end up hurting her... _It was selfish of him but he wanted her and even though his brain was screaming for her to leave he couldn't make himself say it. He didn't want to go back to being without her. The last two weeks when she hadn't been there had been torture. He'd ignored it, tried to carry on as he had before he met her but now it was painfully obvious. Some foreign part of him needed her and that part of him wouldn't be denied. But there was still so much she didn't know about him... _This will destroy you both..._

"I don't want these emotions," he breathed, their faces still only millimetres apart. "They make everything so much more difficult."

"I know," she breathed back, her eyes closed. "But they make life worth living." How could she make it sound so simple? So unproblematic?

"I can't promise this will work."

"Then promise we can at least try."

Hinata knew he was trying to get her to leave, trying to make it so that it was _her _decision to leave, but it wasn't going to work. She wasn't going anywhere, not this time. He kissed her again, and for a moment they were the only two people in existence.

Until the door opened suddenly.

Hinata broke away quickly, embarrassed. However embarrassment was quickly replaced with confusion as she saw who had entered the room.

They didn't look like they belonged in a hospital. Rather, they looked like they should be putting people _in_ hospitals. Both men were dressed in immaculate, expensive-looking black suits, the kind Sasuke would wear, both wearing black shirts.

However what made them look so intimidating wasn't their attire. It was their demeanour. Both of them gave off a vibe of 'look-at-me-the-wrong-way-and-I-will-torture-you-slowly'. The shorter one, who was still pretty tall, had white, almost with a blue tint hair, and wore a maniacal grin, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. Once Hinata had gotten over the initial stab of shock and fear the teeth had caused in her, she shuddered, trying not to think about the dental procedures he must have had done to achieve the effect.

The other man, who was much, _much_ taller and broader had orange hair almost as spiky as Naruto's, but it was longer and pushed back from his face. His lips were set in a grim line, in stark contrast his practically psychotic looking companion. If he wasn't so scary Hinata might have thought him attractive, but there was something about him she found unnerving.

"Juugo. Suigetsu. What are you doing here?" Sasuke snapped, pulling Hinata back into reality. She looked back at him, surprised at the sudden animosity in his voice. "You're supposed to-"

"Call first, boss, I know," said the man with pointed teeth, Sugeitsu, waving his hand dismissively and stepping forward. "We tried but _you_ didn't answer."

"Does it _look_ like I've been able to answer? Hinata did they call my phone?"

"It got smashed in the crash," said Hinata quickly, picking up the bag with the pieces Sasuke's phone in it and showing it to the three men. For some reason the atmosphere was suddenly very tense.

"Well there you have it," said Juugo. "We couldn't call first. Sort of an emergency."

"How did you know I was here?" asked Sasuke, sounding sterner and more commanding rather than angry now.

"You know...friend of a friend and all that," Suigetsu said.

There was silence for a few moments, and Hinata decided that it was her cue to leave.

"Could you give us a minute, Hinata?" asked Sasuke, not taking his eyes off the two men. The way he said it hadn't really sounded like a question, more like a command.

"Of course," she said quickly, heading for the door. Juugo, who was still standing by it, opened it for her, but as he was closing it, she heard Sasuke speak again.

"You're sure no one was following-" He was cut off as the door shut completely. She glanced back into the room through the window to see Suigetsu grin devilishly at her as he closed the blinds, shutting her out completely.

* * *

Hinata felt anxiety eating at her stomach, a million questions flying around her head. Would Sasuke be okay with them? They certainly didn't look at all friendly. But then, they had called him 'boss'. So that meant that Sasuke was in charge, right? But what was he in charge of? Who on earth were they? She suddenly recalled hearing Sasuke as the door closed. Being followed? What on earth were they talking about?

The whole thing was very curious, but ultimately, she decided, Sasuke would tell her who they were when he was ready to. At least she hoped he would. He wasn't exactly talkative, nor did he divulge secrets unless forced to.

Suddenly the door opened next to her and the two men left, the one with pointy teeth waving sinisterly at her before he turned and followed the tall one. She went back into the room to see Sasuke with a troubled look on his face, his brow furrowed.

"Everything okay?" she asked, going back to the chair at his side.

"Fine," he replied, but she didn't really believe him. She was about to speak again when the door opened yet again and the English nurse from earlier on came in.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, Miss, visiting hours are just about to end, and I think that's quite enough excitement for you, Sir, you've only just woken up."

Hinata was barely given chance to say goodbye to Sasuke before the nurse had started ushering her out of the door. She kissed him quickly on the lips, wishing she didn't have to leave him even for a second.

"I'll come back tomorrow," Hinata said quickly. Sasuke watched wistfully as the nurse almost literally pushed her out of the door and closed it, leaving Sasuke alone.

"Bye," he said to the empty, silent room. He sighed exasperatedly, already itching to be up and about. He hated hospital rooms, they always managed to make him feel uncomfortable, bored and trapped.

He closed his eyes, feeling pretty tired even though he'd probably only been awake for half and hour. Maybe it was a good thing. Perhaps if he stayed unconscious for most of the week, he wouldn't go as insane as he'd first thought.

* * *

Hinata ran across the train platform, squeezing onto the train at the last second. She took a few deep gulps of air in order to get her breath back and checked the time. 17:37. She'd managed to get the night off work by doing a daytime shift instead, and was heading to the hospital to meet Sasuke. The doctors had said he could go home today, even though he had only been in the hospital for five days. He was recovering remarkably well, but even so, she had insisted on her being there when he got home to make sure he didn't have to lift a finger to do anything. She knew if she wasn't, he'd just carry on doing things like he hadn't been knocked off his bike and could risk undoing everything his body had been working for over the last five days. She had agreed to move back in with him while he was recovering, and all her things were already there, back in her old room. However, when she had managed to be at the hospital and he had been awake, they had talked about what they were going to do now. They had agreed to take things slow, as both of them were new at this. Hinata had never had a boyfriend and Sasuke's relationships had usually taken place between the bed sheets. She really ought to get in shape, she thought to herself, her heart still beating rapidly.

Getting off at the hospital, she started walking up to Sasuke's room without even thinking about it, and before she knew it, she was turning the handle to his door. She smiled widely as she saw him, and held up the gym bag she was carrying.

"I thought you'd never get here," he said, sitting up as he saw her. She crossed the room and put the bag on the bed before starting to pull out its contents. He got out of bed, perhaps a little slower than he usually might, she noted, and put on the jeans she had passed to him. Blushing at the sight slightly, she rummaged in the bag again. He put his shoes on next, before she handed him a shirt next, which he put on carefully.

If he was in pain, however, he didn't show it as he put the shirt on and started to button it up. Hinata crossed the room and put her hands on his chest.

"Let me," she said, picking up where he stopped as his hands fell to his sides, useless.

Sasuke's chest felt tight as he watched her button up his shirt for him. So this was it. It was actually happening. Somehow the small gesture of doing up his shirt buttons for him confirmed it. Sasuke Uchiha in a relationship. How had he let it get this far? He'd spent years with all those walls and defences, locked his feelings away, and now none of them mattered. He still couldn't believe she was still here, that this wasn't just some strange dream he was having. But it had been a week, and she'd gone and come back, not out of obligation like when she had lived with him, but because she wanted to. She _wanted_ to be with him. It was a strange feeling.

"I missed you," she said, looking up at him and taking his hands in her own. She hadn't seen him in two days, the hours she had off work and the visiting times clashing. He didn't reply, only brought her left hand up to his lips and kissed it. He let her other hand go to pick up his woollen overcoat from the bed. It didn't bother her that he didn't say it back; she had grown used to the fact that he never said how he felt a long time ago.

"Let's go," he said, leading her towards the door.

Sasuke struggled to keep his hands off her on the train back to the apartment. He'd nearly gone insane in the hospital and now that he was finally out of that place there was only one thing he wanted to do. However, they'd agreed to take things slow and for some reason, he _really_ didn't want to fuck whatever this was up.

* * *

Neither of them spoke, they didn't feel the need to, and there was a comfortable silence between them. This meant that there was nothing to distract him from what he wanted to do to her, against the doctor's orders of no 'exercise'. However, he was grateful for the silence. It was one of the things that he enjoyed about Hinata. She didn't try to make conversation because she thought the silence was awkward; if she was anyone else he was sure he was sure she would be making annoying small talk by now. But Hinata wasn't like that. Instead if there was nothing to say she wouldn't say it, there was no point in talking about nothing and making things awkward. Besides, he didn't think either of them were that talkative at the best of times, so why start now?

They got off the train and walked the short distance to his apartment block. Even though it had only been a short journey, Sasuke was already starting to feel the effects. God he was so tired. They stepped into the elevator and Hinata's hand brushed his as she took the keys off him. Suddenly he didn't feel so exhausted. The elevator seemed to be moving slower than usual, or maybe it was just because he was restraining himself from kissing Hinata. He knew if that happened, it would inevitably lead to other things.

The elevator doors opened and honestly, Sasuke had never felt so relieved to see his apartment. He hated hospitals, everyone telling him what to do and where to go. Here, _he_ made the rules. Hinata put his bag on the floor next to the sofa and went into the kitchen.

"Do you want a drink?" she asked, moving about as if she had never left the place. He took off his coat and put it on the stand, with only a tiny twinge of pain in his collarbone. He followed her into the kitchen.

"Only if it's alcoholic," he said, opening the fridge. Hinata squeaked and closed it before he could reach inside.

"No, you know what the doctor said!" she exclaimed.

"I don't care what the doctor said."

Suddenly Sasuke found his mouth very dry. By jumping in and closing the door Hinata had sandwiched herself between him and the fridge. She was looking up at him with those big, pearly eyes, a light blush on her cheeks and those plump, rosy lips were just begging for him to taste them. She was even more tempting than before. He took a step closer to her so their bodies were nearly touching and raised a hand to her cheek. Her gaze flickered away from his and she ended up looking down and to the side, those long lashes fluttering slightly.

"You should get some rest," she whispered, still not looking at him. She turned her head even more, exposing that long, elegant neck. Unable to resist her for another second, he turned her head back to face him and dipped his head down to kiss her.

Hinata's head spun as he kissed her. Every time was like the first all that time ago. A jolt of electricity ran down her spine and she felt dizzy as his presence invaded her senses. Her body burned for him and she forgot about everything else in the world. Well, almost everything.

"I thought we were going to take things slow," Hinata breathed reluctantly as Sasuke started trail kisses over her neck. He didn't stop. "And the doctor said-"

"-It's only a kiss," he said, his breath hot on her skin. Hinata felt dizzy as he kissed her lips again. Her fingers knotted in his hair and his hands settled on her waist as his tongue brushed against her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and tilted her head further back so he could kiss her better, and he definitely did not disappoint.

Hinata didn't know how it happened. One minute they were kissing and the next most of her clothes were on the floor, she was fumbling with his shirt buttons and he was undoing his belt. She knew she should tell him to stop, that he needed to rest and they should take things slow. This was absolutely the _last_ thing they should be doing. But with his hands on her skin like this, she couldn't think straight.

She gasped and a thrill went through her body as he picked her up, hitched her legs up around his hips and put her up on the kitchen worktop. Even in this state, he was still so strong, so commanding and fierce. She shuddered as he started to kiss her neck, something she was quickly learning was one of her favourite things. She could practically feel the raw passion pouring out of him as he left angry red marks on her skin.

Sasuke growled at the taste of Hinata in his arms. He couldn't remember anyone tasting this sweet, feeling this good as he explored her mouth with his tongue. God, how he needed to be inside her right now. Not wanting to wait even a second more, he slid the underwear she was wearing down those smooth, shapely legs and unzipped his jeans.

Every fibre of Sasuke's being shouted in relief at being inside her again. God, she was still so tight. It had been torture this last week, being so close and not even being able to even touch her. He was tired, aching all over and this probably wouldn't help his recovery in any way, but now he was inside her he just didn't care. She was like a drug. He needed her and had to have her at any cost.

Hinata cried out as Sasuke slid inside her, at the look of pure bliss in his usually expressionless eyes as he took her. She felt lightheaded as she buried her fingers in Sasuke's hair and he rested his forehead on her shoulders, his ragged breaths scorching her skin as he moved in and out of her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she closed her eyes and bit her lip. There was almost a sense of..._urgency_ about the way he moved, setting her body on fire. The way he held her, the way he kissed her and made love to her made her feel so _alive_, so needed and beautiful, like he was hungry for her and her alone.

Sasuke had never felt like this with any other woman. She moaned, her breaths short and sharp. How could he want anyone else when he had her? She cried out, her nails digging into his biceps. How could anyone else even _begin_ to compare? His chest tight, he leaned forward to kiss her forcefully on the lips, needing to taste her again.

Hinata cupped his face in her hands as he kissed her, loving the feel of his strong jaw moving against her fingers. She moved to kiss his neck and jaw line, while they were at the same height. Her heart swelled with triumph as he tilted his head back and sighed, overjoyed that even though she still didn't really know what she was doing, she was doing it right. He had a somewhat..._edible_ jaw line, so defined and strong and masculine. She could kiss it all day. All week.

"I love you," she murmured, his skin against her lips. She could kiss him for all time.

Suddenly she noticed a shift in his movements. She broke away and cried out his name as he hit a spot inside her that made her whimper in pleasure. No longer as hurried, he held her in his arms tenderly, his thrusts lush and full.

Sasuke's heart clenched as she whispered those three words he never thought he'd have said to him again. She'd said it at the hospital when he'd woken up, but honestly, he thought it had been because he'd nearly died and she was in shock. Thought once she'd got a hold of herself she'd change her mind. Who could ever love _him_?

He never thought she'd _meant_ them.

But right then, he knew she did.

She cried out his name once more and threw her head back in ecstasy. In that moment, right there, he knew that he was lost to her completely. He would do anything for this woman, even give his own life if he had to. Hell, he had nearly done that already.

It felt like time had stopped as he looked at her and their eyes met. God, she was so beautiful.

"_I love you."_

_Just _say_ it. It's easy. It's just words._

He looked away, unable to cope with the raw emotion in her eyes. It didn't feel right, that there was so much love directed at _him_. It was unnerving.

_I can't._

Did he love her? _No_, he thought quickly. He didn't know _what_ it was he felt for her. There was no denying the physical attraction, the hollow feeling in his chest when she wasn't with him, the way he had felt when she had left and he'd nearly died trying to get her back...but was it love? He couldn't even remember what it felt like to care for someone, to be friends with someone, let alone _love_ someone. Suigetsu and Juugo were the closest thing he had to 'friends' and that was pushing it a bit.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Hinata asked, noticing he'd stopped moving, a look of worry on her face. "Are you in pain? We can stop, I-"

Sasuke cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. Pushing all his thoughts from his head, he took the rest of Hinata's weight in his arms and carried her through to his bedroom. He didn't want to think about what he did and didn't feel for her right now, not when she was naked in his arms and sighing in pleasure.

Right now there were much more important things that demanded his attention.

* * *

Hinata woke with a smile on her face. She hadn't felt this relaxed since...well, the last time she woke up with Sasuke. But this time that feeling didn't fade. She didn't have to leave him this time. Oh, what she wouldn't give just to stay here all day with him. She kept her eyes closed for a few moments, just enjoying the fact that the bedding smelt of Sasuke. She opened her eyes, expecting to see him. She didn't. Sitting up, her eyes darted around the room. Oh God, what if this time _he_ had left _her_? _Don't be ridiculous_, she told herself. It wasn't like he could run away from his own apartment. But already that happy feeling she had woken up with was disappearing. _He changed his mind, he doesn't want you and he didn't want to be here when you woke up._ She shook her head. He was probably just in the kitchen or something. Yes, that must be it. But she couldn't shake that feeling of fear that she was alone in the apartment.

He must still be here. But for some reason she couldn't make herself move from the bed to go and find out if he really had left. God, was this how he had felt when she had left? She felt terrible.

She silently vowed that if he was still here, she would never leave him again, no matter what, unless he told her to leave. She was in love with him after all. Before she had mustered the courage to go and find him, he appeared, wearing some black jeans, in the doorway of the bathroom facing the end of the bed. Relief flooded through her body. She reached behind her, grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, now angry at him for scaring her like that.

"I thought _you_ had left _me_ this time!" she said, her heart pounding. Whatever anger she had momentarily felt melted away at the surprised look on his face. He looked up at her and some other emotion fleeted across his features as his eyes flickered to her side before they returned to normal. She was about to look behind her to see what he had been looking at when he spoke suddenly.

"Not likely," he replied, throwing the pillow back across the room to land back where it came from. Hinata's heart swelled at his words. She got out of bed, clutching the sheets around her and walked towards him. She looked at his side, and was about to put her hand on the dressing there when she thought better of it.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked, eyes travelling to the bandages around his shoulders.

"Fine," he replied, tilting her chin up to look at him. Hinata stood up on her tip toes to kiss him, his lips captivating her gaze. He held her against him and kissed her, before she broke away and took a couple of steps backwards.

"I'm going to have a shower," she sighed happily. She walked into the en-suite bathroom and closed the door, before remembering she didn't know where the towels were. She'd never been in here before, despite the amount of time she'd lived here. She stuck her head around the door.

"Where are your towels in here?"

"Cupboard, top shelf," he replied, now sitting on the bed. Nodding, she retreated back into the bathroom. She reached up into the cupboard, the shelf a fraction to high for her. Not feeling any towels in there, she stood on her tiptoes, hoping they were just slightly further back on the shelf. Nothing. She went back to the door.

"Sasuke, I can't find any..." She trailed off as she saw him and a stab of fear went through her. She couldn't move. He was still sat on the bed. But he was holding a gun. _A gun._ Sasuke, her lover, was holding a gun. Why the hell was he holding a gun? Oh God. He was a serial killer. And she was next. She knew he was too perfect to be true. No wonder she'd never seen any of the women she had slept with getting breakfast in the morning. He'd killed them, right? That had to be the answer.

He stood up and took a step towards her. Suddenly able to move, she moved away from him until her back hit the wall.

"Hinata, I can explain," he said, still holding the gun. _He's holding a _gun_._

And then Hinata did something she hadn't done since she was a child.

She fainted.

* * *

Sasuke woke the next morning to see the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Hinata. She lay on her side, the sheets bunched around her thighs, dark hair fanned out around her. The sun was just about to come up, its glow illuminating her skin and while her breaths fell evenly as she slept.

It felt strange, waking up with someone. It made his chest ache. For all the times he'd had a woman in his bed, he'd made sure they were gone before he fell asleep.

He never thought he'd trust someone enough to fall unconscious willingly around them, to be that defenceless. Yet with Hinata, he did. He _had_.

He ran his hand down her side, marvelling in the soft texture of her skin and the luscious curves of her body so different from the hard lines of his own. He knew he should be tired and sore, and well, let's face it, he _was_,_ unbelievably_ so, but honestly, all he wanted to do was make love to her again. His chest felt tight as he thought of what they had done when they had got back to the apartment. Sure, he had slept with others, others more skilled, but those times couldn't even compare with the times with Hinata. What he felt when he was with Hinata was far more than just scratching a biological itch.

Tenderness for her overwhelmed him as he reached to gently brush hair from her cheek. How could even a whisper of a touch from her set his entire being on fire? A smile and he was undone. What he wouldn't do for just a smile from her…All this time he had been telling himself he didn't care for her, but it was in that moment he realized he that he _did_ care for her. Deeply. Too deeply. His heart clenched. The thought terrified him. The amount of power she unknowingly held over him was unbearable.

He rolled onto his back and cursed himself. He didn't _want_ to care for her like this. Caring for someone made people unbelievably stupid. Caring for someone made you _dead_. Made _them_ dead. He'd seen it firsthand. Everything he cared for was ripped away from him and he didn't want to lose her. _Couldn't_ lose her. But he was Sasuke Uchiha. Someone like Hinata did not belong by his side. No one did. He shuddered as he thought of her touch, her laugh. How could such simple things have such a profound effect on him? He didn't feel so lost or broken when he held her, when he took her… He somehow found himself wondering what kind of future they would have if he stayed with her, if he was anyone other than himself.

He got out of bed, pulled on some jeans and stalked to the on-suite bathroom, splashing cold water on his face when he got to the sink in an attempt to clear his head. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror, hands braced on either side of the sink.

"Pull yourself together, goddammit," he growled at his reflection. There was no point thinking about the future when he had no idea if they even had one. He wanted one, there was no denying it, but there were still things she didn't know about him.

Things he didn't think she'd like.

But he had to tell her at some point, right? She deserved to know what she was getting into with him, what kind of life he led. Yeah, she knew about the fight club, but how would she deal with everything else?

Fear gripped his heart for the first time in years at the possibility of her leaving him again. He'd already nearly died the first time, trying to get her back, and he honestly wasn't sure he'd survive a second. He punched the tiles on the wall in anger, resting his forearms and head on them as he exhaled deeply in an attempt to calm down. He didn't _want_ to feel like this. Emotions made everything so much more complicated than they needed to be. But somehow, they had crept up on him without him noticing.

How could she have come to mean so much to him so quickly? He still couldn't understand it. But he couldn't change it now. It was like some foreign part of him needed her more than air itself.

If he wanted her to stay with him, he shouldn't keep any more secrets from her. But when would he tell her? Now? And risk losing her? But if he kept things like this from her she would find out eventually by herself and then it would be even worse. Before, when she was just a lodger in his apartment, she had respected his privacy, and he had respected hers, but now... Now that they were...whatever it was they were doing, it would only be a matter of time before she started asking questions, and there were only so many lies he could tell.

He sighed and rolled so his back was leaning against the cold tiles.

So that was it. He would tell her.

The only question left was when. He exhaled deeply. He didn't want to think about this now. Right now, he just wanted to go back to bed, hold her against him and forget everything for the next few days. Pushing all his thoughts from his head, he took a few deep, calming breaths and went back into the bedroom. Only to have something very red and squishy hit him. He caught it before it hit the ground. He cast a puzzled look at the pillow he was holding before looking up at Hinata. She was sat up in his bed now, clutching the sheets to her chest. His blood ran cold. She only had to turn around and see what was under his pillow, which he was now holding, and he would have to explain everything to her a lot sooner than he thought. How the fuck had he forgotten it was there? _Don't react. Don't react._ He somehow kept himself from leaping across the room to stop her seeing as his heart pounded in his chest.

"You! I thought _you_ had left _me_ this time!" she said accusingly, laughing. Sasuke threw the pillow back across the room, landing where it had started. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now. He'd have to move it, now she would be in his bed more often. Hinata stood up, still gripping the sheets around her and walked over to him. She sobered.

"How do you feel this morning?" she asked, a worried expression on her face as her fingers hovered over the newer, smaller dressing on his side.

"Fine," he said, tilting her chin up so he could look at her. In reality he was aching all over and would like nothing more than to pass out, but he wasn't one to let people know he was in pain. It was his own fault anyway. He was starting to feel like he was on the mend but then he'd gone against the doctor's advice of no "exercise" almost as soon as he was out of the hosptial. She smiled and stood on her tip-toes so she could kiss him. He gathered her up into his arms as her scent invaded his senses but all too soon she was pulling away.

"I'm going to have a shower," she said, going into the bathroom. Sasuke waited until she had closed the door before sitting on the bed and reaching under the pillow. His hand met cold metal and he froze as he heard the bathroom door open again. Hinata popped her head around the door.

"Where are your towels in here?" Sasuke's heart hammered in his chest. That had been too close for comfort. Another second and she would have...

"Cupboard, top shelf," he replied, trying to sound normal. She disappeared back into the bathroom. He waited a few more seconds before pulling the object out from under the pillow. He could move it into the drawer of his bedside cabinet, he didn't think she would go rummaging through it, but it was nowhere near as easy to reach in an emergency.

He tested the weight of it in his hand. It was quite heavy, but he had always thought it was the perfect weight.

It fit in his palm perfectly. Comfortable. Reassuring.

Fully loaded.

He flicked the safety off and then back on as he considered where to keep it. The drawer was probably the best place until he thought of an alternative.

"Sasuke, I can't find any..." Sasuke looked up sharply as Hinata's voice trailed off, her eyes wide.

Fuck.

It was too late to hide the gun.

She'd already seen it.

"Hinata, I can explain," he said, standing and taking a step towards her. Her terrified eyes flickered to the gun in his hand and then back to his face. Maybe he should have put the gun down. He was just about to when her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted.

It looked like he was going to have to explain everything to her a lot sooner than he thought.

Sasuke sat at the end of the bed, watching Hinata, waiting for her to wake up. He'd caught her before she'd hit the ground, somehow, and put her back on the bed.

Seconds ticked by and he struggled to think of what he would say to her when she woke up.

"_Oh, yeah, I just sleep with a gun under my pillow, it's totally normal, everyone does it, don't you?" _

He almost laughed at the thought. He rubbed his eyes, his hand settling over his mouth as he exhaled deeply. God, what the fuck was he going to tell her? What if she left him? He wasn't sure he would be able to cope. But deep down he knew he couldn't lie to her, not anymore.

_You tell her what she deserves. You tell her the truth._

He sighed, knowing the voice in his head was right.

"The truth then," he said.

He just hoped she'd still be here tomorrow. He'd at least hoped to make it past the first couple of days in their relationship.

* * *

_Thank you! Please review with your thoughts, I would love to hear them :)_

_Just when you thought things might settle down for our couple, what is Sasuke's dark secret? _

_See you next time!_


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ

**_Greetings!_**

_Firstly I must apologise for not updating the story for about a year now . I have had very good reasons! I know that isn't really an excuse but I will tell you anyway :P_

_I moved house, got engaged (my husband proposed in the most romantic way), quit my job, got a job I actually liked and many other more personal things. On top of that some of you may remember that my health is not so great so I have been in and out of hospital several times! So much so that I had to leave my job and find a better suited one. And also planning a wedding! ;)_

**_So! Onto the story!_**

_I sat down to start writing the other day after re-reading what I had already published, and decided….I didn't like parts of it. Ha ha x) And I feel incredibly guilty about not updating, as I love writing and hearing what you, the readers, think of my work, but I physically have not had a lot of time to do it._

_So, I have edited the story that was already published, replaced chapters and such, before I publish a new chapter. They are only slight changes, but I am much happier with the story this way :)_

_I think it would be best if everyone re-read the story, because I am not sure if anyone will remember what has happened at this point in the story anyway xD I will hopefully be posting the real chapter 9 in the next week or so :)_

_I also have another story I will be working on but I am not sure when I will be publishing that yet. It will be set in the normal Naruto universe so keep your eyes peeled ;)_

_Go to my profile for more info on my stories :)_

_Thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me through this, you are truly loved!_

_I will see you soon, I hope all of this made sense to you!_

_xREILAx_

_P.s. The wedding is in August ;)"_


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